Body Composition Analysis Is The Key

Body composition analysis measures what your body is made of—muscle, fat, and water.

Weight loss isn’t just about the number on your scale—it’s about losing fat, not muscle or water. Your bathroom scale can’t tell the full story of your health.

InBody testing measures muscle, fat, and water in your body, helping you focus on losing fat, gaining muscle, and maintaining proper hydration.

Track your progress the smarter way for healthier, long-lasting results. Lose weight better, healthier, and happier!

Why BMI and the Scale Don’t Tell the Whole Story

In his prime, Arnold Schwarzenegger stood 6'2" and weighed 240 pounds, almost entirely muscle with very little body fat. Yet, using BMI (which only considers height and weight), he was classified as obese.

Now compare that to someone of the same height and weight but with minimal muscle and higher body fat—they would have the same BMI.

This shows why BMI and the number on a scale alone are misleading. Body composition analysis goes deeper, measuring muscle, fat, and water to provide a more accurate picture of your health and fitness.

InBody Test Not Recommended

  • The currents used in InBody testing have not been shown to pose any risk to pregnant users.

    However, it is NOT recommended to take the test during pregnancy because changes in body fluids can cause results to differ from your usual baseline.

  • While research on Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) testing has shown that it poses no known risk to patients with implanted cardiac devices, it is strongly recommended that you AVOID testing users with these devices unless you have prior approval from their cardiologist.

    There are no constraints to testing users with a cardiac stent on InBody devices. The presence of a cardiac stent will have a negligible effect on the users’ body composition results.

  • In order to conduct an InBody test, contact must be made with all eight electrodes (on both the handles and the foot electrodes) and the user must remain standing during testing.

    Unfortunately, if this is not possible, the user will not be able to complete the test.

Conditions That May Cause Skewed InBody Test Results

  • Users who are menstruating may have skewed results due to changes in body water.

  • The currents utilized by InBody devices are typically unable to penetrate the casing of breast implants. As a result, the weight of the implants gets added to an individual's body weight as fat mass, increasing their reported overall body fat percentage. However, because this effect will be consistent from test to test, the initial test can be used as a baseline to track changes in a user's body composition over time.

  • Because metal is highly conductive, metal implants cause increased lean mass readings in the area where the metal is located. The degree of this skew can vary, depending on the size and composition of the implant itself. However, because this effect will be consistent from test to test, the initial test can be used as a baseline to track changes in a user's body composition over time.

  • The low-level currents used by the InBody will not interfere with these devices' functions. As the currents utilized by our device do not travel through these devices, their weight will be added to the tester's weight as fat mass. However, the impact on their InBody test results should be minimal.

    Insulin injections from insulin pumps have no significant effects on impedance.

    If there are any concerns, turn the device off while testing on the InBody.

  • Ketogenic diets reduce the body's glycogen stores. As this occurs, the body loses water. InBody’s definition of lean body mass and skeletal muscle mass includes fluid. Therefore, a loss of fluid will cause lower reported fat-free mass and skeletal muscle mass values on users’ InBody tests.

    Generally, when a user starts a keto diet, you will notice that total body water losses are equivalent to the reported loss of muscle. Sometimes, the state of ketosis may reduce overall muscle, which will be reflected in the dry lean mass section of the results sheet. Because of this loss, your device may interpret any remaining weight as extra fat mass. For better tracking of overall body composition changes, we recommend assessing fat mass after body water has stabilized during ketosis.

Preparatory Steps for InBody Testing

The following recommended guidelines will help produce reliable results:

  • It is recommended to test every 2 to 4 weeks under similar conditions to effectively track progress.

  • If an initial test is taken in the morning, it is recommended to maintain the same conditions for subsequent tests whenever possible.

This will ensure that any changes observed are a direct result of recent lifestyle changes, such as diet or exercise, rather than external factors.

Do’s

  • Body water fluctuates on a day-to-day basis, depending on eating, drinking, and exercising. When you’re overhydrated, the cells swell, leading to an overestimation of muscle mass. Lower total body water, resulting from dehydration, will cause lean mass values to be lower than when normally hydrated.

    If you need to hydrate after waking up in the morning, drink 16 to 20 ounces of water roughly 45 minutes to 1 hour before the test to allow the body to absorb the water and rehydrate the cells.

  • Fluid distribution changes as your posture shifts from lying down to sitting to standing. Standing causes gravity to pull blood to the legs; however, it takes time for blood to redistribute evenly back to the upper body. Your measurements are most precise when body fluids are more evenly distributed. This is why InBody recommends standing for 5 to 10 minutes before testing.

  • Feet must make direct contact with the InBody electrodes for the current to flow properly. Socks or pantyhose prevent direct contact between your skin and the electrodes, which will cause the results to be inaccurate.

  • Heavy objects, such as jewelry, watches, belts, jackets, or wallets, could add to your overall weight. Since these objects are not measured separately, the InBody device may consider the excess weight as body fat, leading to inaccurate body fat mass measurements and a higher body fat percentage.

  • Changes in skin temperature can affect blood flow, causing arteries and veins near the skin to either close or open. All Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) testing is recommended to be conducted at a room temperature between 68°F and 77°F.

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Dont’s

  • Food can take 120 minutes or more to fully absorb. Similarly, water is not absorbed and remains in the digestive tract, so it cannot be measured. This results in an increase in fat mass, as the water is not absorbed and is not included in total body water. Therefore, InBody recommends avoiding drinking water for 45 minutes before testing. Additionally, avoid food intake for 2 to 3 hours and use the bathroom before testing.

    Exercise can lead to increased blood circulation, which changes fluid distribution segmentally.

    Altered water balance, such as sweat loss, can influence water levels and changes in skin temperature, altering fluid distribution. These changes will vary depending on your exercise routine, body composition, and sweat rate.

  • Liquids like alcohol and caffeine are considered diuretics, as they cause you to lose fluids. However, if you drink a cup of coffee every morning, it is important to maintain that daily routine when testing on InBody.

  • Similarly, warming up in cold weather, showering, and exposure to hot or cold temperatures can affect skin blood flow. Additionally, using a sauna can cause dehydration due to water loss through sweat.

  • Using too much lotion or ointment may weaken the conductivity of the currents sent to the body during InBody testing. It is recommended to wipe your hands and feet with InBody tissues before testing to enhance conductivity.

*All content provided is sourced from InBody Academy.