Bio Impedance to calculate fat loss.

[MuayTyson]

I hear that the bio impedance machines are getting better but they still seem off to me. I have taken two bio impedance tests last week and they were higher than I thought they should be. I think my BF% is between 14-16% I have visable abs(when I have not eaten) and I appear more cut and leaner. I carry a pretty good amount of muscle mass on my frame I'm 178 cm(5'10) 95 kilkos(212 lbs). I think the alagrarythm is off for these machines because I am fairly muscular. My BMI is 30 which is obese and I think this influences the machines here in Asia what do you guys think?

[notanartmajor]

Are you saying the machine is giving you a BMI reading, or is using your BMI in its calculations?

BMI is different than body fat percentage, and not very useful for athletes or people who strength train regularly, as your "obese" six pack demonstrates.

[bigm141414]

BIA are known to vary widely as different manufacturers use different equations. If you wana pretty good read on the subject I point you to the two links below. They give a great background and show the differences between calculations for BIAs.

A lot of BIAs use the height weight ratio, and then have another selection for what type of person you are e.g athletic, normal, sedentary. These different selections affect the weighting of the height/weight ratio.

http://www.ake-nutrition.at/uploads/media/bia1_Kyle_et_al_01.pdf

http://www.ake-nutrition.at/uploads/media/bia2_Kyle_et_al_01.pdf

[This is Seth]

You're about the same size as me, measurement-wise. I'm probably about 18-20% bf with a BMI around 28-30... what were you expecting?

p.s. I have abs after I eat... and I shine a flashlight at the perfect angle.

[Blueberries]

They're certainly not the most accurate of BF% measurements. That said, if you're watching the overall trend over time on the same machine, I think it's an okay indicator of whether progress is going in the direction you want or not. I wouldn't put much stock into the actual number, though.

[MuayTyson]

I am aware that BMI is not accurate for athletes but I can't read the machines they are all in Korean. I have a machine that I know is not very accurate and that has an athletic setting I'm not sure these machines do.

I'm thinking they are using the BMI in the math they use to determine BF% I checked and can't find any submersion here either.

Oh, yeah the machines do give BMI but I know how to calculate it myself.