Tuesday 3 July 2012

Preferred Method of Body Fat Composition Measurement- Ng Kok Yin (04) S3-06


My preferred method of measuring my body fat composition will be Hydrostatic Weighing. Hydrostatic weighing, is the body fat measurement that requires being submerged in a specialized tank of water and measured with the mass per unit volume of a patient's body.

The procedure is based on Archimedes' principle, using the following three measurable values:
-The weight of the body outside the water
-The weight of the completely immersed body (a weight that may be negative if the body in question is less dense than water)
-The density of the water

If each test is performed correctly according to the recommended guidelines, there is a +/- 1.5% error. (Note: Accuracy depends on the client's ability to blow all the air out of their lungs both during a pre-test screening with a spirometer, and during the test itself. Since air makes the body float, inability to perform either of these maneuvers will result in miscalculation of the percent body fat.)

Advantages:
This method is currently considered the "gold standard" in percent body fat measurement
Repeat measures usually prove consistent, and can be used to chart progress

Disadvantages:
This method usually requires a lot of equipment and space
Testing is time consuming and involved
Requires in-depth knowledge to administer the tests and compute the calculations
Being submerged under water may be difficult and produce anxiety for some

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