BODY COMPOSITION
Fall  2002 - Spring 2003

110 Points

     There is frequent need to evaluate body composition in the clinical exercise physiology setting.   These include:

  • Estimation of Total Body Fat
  • Recommendation a Suitable Body Weight for Health
  • Establish the Distribution of Body Fat for Risk of Chronic Disease

    In recent years, the study of the physical and chemical aspects of the human body has led to various techniques designed to estimate physical composition.   It appears as though one of the more accurate methods for evaluation of body composition (body fat) is by the hydrostatic weighing technique perfected by Behnke (2).   This technique utilizes Archimedes' principle in which specific gravity (or density) is determined by dividing the body weight, dry, by its loss of weight in water.   An important factor in obtaining an accurate underwater weight is that of determining residual lung volume.

    Although the technique for measuring body density by immersing the body in water is a very simple one, expensive laboratory instrumentation and considerable time and effort are required.   Thus, other procedures such as anthropometry may be more appropriate as well as practical for estimating specific gravity and percent body fat in the clinical setting.   More recently, bioelectrical impedance and air displacement (Bod Pod) have been introduced to the Health and Fitness Industry.

    Anthropometry (the measurement of man) includes determination of

  • Height
  • Weight
  • Skinfold Thickness
  • Girths or Circumferences
  • Breadths or Diameters

    Different anthropometric estimations of body composition employ a variety of measurement sites.

     The purpose of this lab is to explore several field techniques that estimate percent body fat.   The indirect methods you will use are 1) hydrostatic weighing, 2) anthropometry, and 3) bioelectrical impedance.  In addition, the various methods used to determine the distribution of body fat will also be compared.

Click here to download the lab write-up.

Click here to download the data form.
Turn this data form in to Dr. Wallace as soon as you collect the data.

 

LABORATORY PROCEDURES:

For the main activities of this lab, split into teams of two; one to be the subject and the other to do the measuring. Choose one extra person to have anthropometry done on them by each person in the lab section.

  1. Before taking any measurements, have all group members do a visual estimation of everyone's percent body fat.
  2. Measure all the anthropometric measurements of height, weight, skinfolds, girths and diameters.
    1. on the subject
    2. have everyone in class perform these mesurements on the one extra person
  3. Evaluate methods to determine Excess Body Weight
    1. Body Mass Index
    2. Waist Circumference (Ab 2)
    3. Ponderal Index
    4. Brocha Index
  4. Evaluate body composition for the following methods.
    1. Circumference Method (See McArdle, Katch & Katch Appendix)
    2. Selzer Minimal Tricep Skinfold Thickness
    3. Durnin Method (Skinfolds)
    4. Yuhasz Method (Skinfolds)
    5. Allen Method (Skinfolds)
    6. Jackson Pollock
      • Three Site Methods(Skinfolds)
        • Three Protocols for Men
        • Two Protocols for Women
      • Four Site Method (Skinfolds)
      • Seven Site Method (Skinfolds)
    7. Bioelectrical Impedance
    8. Hydrostatic Weighing
  5. Determine the distribution of body fat by
    1. Waist to Hip Ratio
    2. Waist to Thigh Ratio
    3. Trunk to Extremity Ratio
    4. Central to Peripheral Ratio
    5. Upper to Lower Body Ratio
REFERENCES
  1. Basic Exercise Physiology Textbooks.
  2. Lohman, T., A. Roche, R. Martorell. Anthropmetric Standardization Reference Manual, Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL, 1988.
  3. Verrill, D., E. Schoup, L. Boyce, B. Fox, A. Moore, T. Forkner. Recommended Guidelines for Body Composition Assessment in Cardiac Rehabilitation: A Position paper by the North Carolina Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Association, Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation 14:104-121, 1994.
  4. Wallace, J.P., R.G. Bogle, K.T. Murray, and W.C. Miller. Variation in the anthropometric dimensions for estimating upper and lower body obesity. American Journal of Human Biology 6:699-709, 1994.
  5. Behnke and Wilmore, Evaluation and Regulation of Body Build and Composition, International Research Monograph Series in Physical Education, Prentice Hall, New Jersey, 1974.
  6. Bjorntorp, P., Metabolic implications of body fat distribution. Diabetes Care 14:1132-1143, 1991.
  7. Matsuzawa, Y., Shimomura, I., Nakamura, T., Keno, Y., Kotani, K., and Tokunaga, K.. Pathophysiology and pathogenesis of visceral fat obesity Obesity Research 3:187s-194s, 1995.
  8. National Insititutes of Health, NHLBI, Clinical Guidelines on the indentification, evaluation, and treatment of overweight and obesity in adults. 1998
  9. The University of Vermont web site for methods of body composition analaysis.

QUESTIONS

Download the Report Form Here

  1. Calculate values for
    • Excess body weight
    • Percent body fat
    • Body fat distribution
    for all the methods of analyzing body composition used in this lab. (10 points)
  2. Calculate the mean and range of values measured by the whole class for each skinfold, girth and diameter. (5 pts)
    1. What is the range for percent body fat for this person based on all these measurements? (use any esitmation formula, but use the same one for each set of variables.) (5 pts)
    1. Which set of anthropometric variables appears to the the easiest to measure? (ie, has the least variation?) (5 pts)
  3. Of all the methods of evaluating body composition, which method is most valid and why? (5 points)
  4. List four additional ways (not used in this lab) to measure body composition (5 points).
  5. Describe, in detail, one of the four techniques listed above.   How does this technique estimate percent body fat? (5 points)
  6. Do the various methods (used in this lab) for estimation of percent body fat agree? (5 pts)   Why/why not? (5 points)
  7. List the basic assumptions for each method used in this lab? (10 points)
  8. Calculate ideal weight based on the percent body fat.   Use the percent body fat found in this lab that you think is most accurate. Show your work. (5 points).
  9. List and explain the assumptions for the estimation of body fat by hydrostatic weighing. (10 points)
  10. Because the estimates of percent body fat are too expensive and too time consuming for large population estimates, other methods to evaluate overweight and overfat have been developed.   List five of these methods. (5 points)
  11. How accurate are the methods listed above?   Explain the common assumption(s) used in these methods. (5 points)
  12. List the diseases associated with an increased Waist to Hip Ratio (WHR). (5 points)
  13. Why is WHR associated with these diseases?   What is the mechanism? (5 points)
  14. How standardized is the measurement of WHR for determining upper and lower body fat distribution (5 points)?
  15. Compare the other methods used to measure the distribution of body fat in this lab. (5 points)
  16. What kind of research is needed to find the best anthropometric method to reflect the distribution of body fat that truly represents the risk of body fat distribution? (5 points)

  BODY COMPOSITION METHODS

Body Mass Index (BMI)

    BMI is a simple measure of height in meters and weight in kilograms.

BMI = Weight (kg)/Height (m)2


Value Interpretation
20-24.9 kg/m2
25-29.9 kg/m2
30-40 kg/m2
>40 kg/m2
 Desirable
Overweight
Obese
Morbid Obesity
Back

Ponderal Index (PI)

    Like BMI, Ponderal Index uses height and weight.

PI = Ht (cm)/Cube Root of Wt(kg)

Back

Broca Index (BI)

    Like BMI, Ponderal Index uses height and weight.

BI= Wt (kg) / (Ht(cm) - 100)

   Men Women
Normal
Well Proportioned
Marathoner		 0.92 - 1.00
0.94 - 0.95
0.87 - 0.88		 0.84 - 0.92
  
  
Back

Durnin Skinfold Method

    Sum of the four skinfold sites listed below.   Use the Durnin Table to determine the percent body fat.

  • Biceps
  • Triceps
  • Subscapular
  • Suprailiac
Back

Yuhasz Skinfold Method

    Use the following skinfold sites and formulas for men and women:
Women
  • triceps
  • subscapular
  • suprailiac
  • umbilical
  • front thigh
  • rear thigh

    For women < 35 years old.

Percent Body Fat = (sum) (0.217) - 4.47        
Men
  • triceps
  • subscapular
  • suprailiac
  • chest
  • umbilical
  • front thigh

Percent Body Fat (< 35 years old) = (sum) (0.097) + 3.641

Percent Body Fat (> 35 years old) = (sum) (0.1066) + 4.975


Back

Allen Skinfold Method

    Use the following skinfold sites in the formula below:

  • Cheek
  • Chin
  • Tricep
  • Subscapular
  • Pectoral
  • Midaxillary
  • Suprailiac
  • Umbilical
  • Knee
  • Calf

% FAT = (0.7) Square Root of {{[(sum-40/20) (SA) (0.739)]/WT } - 0.003}

    WT = body weight in kg

    SA = surface area (see nomogram)

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Jackson-Pollock Skinfold Methods

    Use the following skinfold sites for the different Jackson-Pollock formulas:

Seven Site Method Four Site Method Three Site Methods for Men Three Site Methods for Women
  • Subscapular
  • Triceps
  • Pectoral
  • Midaxillary
  • Suprailium
  • Abdominal
  • Thigh
    		•
  • Triceps
  • Suprailiac
  • Abdominal
  • Thigh
    		•
    Men #1
  • Pectoral
  • Abdomen
  • Thigh
    		•
    Men #2
  • Triceps
  • Pectoral
  • Subscapular
    		•
    Men #3
  • Triceps
  • Abdomen
  • Suprailiac
    		•
    Women #1
  • Tricep
  • Supraillium
  • Thigh
    		•
    Women #2
  • Tricep
  • Abdomen
  • Supraillium
    		•

    Whereas most formulas for skinfold protocols calculate percent body fat directly, the Jackson-Pollock formulas first calculate body density.   Percent body fat is then calculated from the body dentsity.   The body density formulas are:

        Seven Site Formula

    Adult Men BD = 1.12000000 - 0.00043499(sum) + 0.00000055 (sum) - 0.00028826(age)

    Adult Women BD = 1.0970 - 0.00046971(sum) + 0.00000056(sum) - 0.00012828(age)

        Four Site Formula

    Adult Men BD = 0.29288(sum) - 0.0005(sum)2 + 0.15845(age) - 5.76377

    Adult Women BD = 029669(sum) - 0.00043(sum)2 + 0.02963Age) + 1.4072

        Three Site Formulas

    Adult Men for pectoral, abdomen, and thigh:

            BD = 1.1093800 - 0.0008267(sum) + 0.0000016(sum)2 - 0.000257(age)

    For Pectoral, triceps, and subscapular:

            BD = 1.1125025 - 0.0013125(sum) + 0.0000055(sum)2 - 0.000244(age)

    Adult Men for triceps, abdomen, and supriliac:

            % Fat = 0.39287(sum) - 0.00105(sum)2 + 0.15772(age) - 5.18845

    Adult Women for ticeps, abdomen, and suprailiac:

            % Fat = 0.41563(sum) - 0.00112(sum)2 + 0.03661(age) + 4.03653

    Adult Women for ticeps, thigh, and suprailiac:

            BD = 1.0994921 - 0.0009929(sum) + 0.0000023(sum)2 - 0.0001392(age)

        For those formulas that calcualted body density, Jackson and Pollock used the following forumla to calculate percent body fat:

                % Fat = [(4.95/BD) - 4.50] 100

    Back

    Waist to Hip Method

        The waist to hip ratio (WHR) uses circumferences.  The waist measurement represents the upper body distribution whereas the hip measurement represents the lower body distribution.

            WHR = Abdominal 1/Gluteal Circumference

    Interpretation of Waist to Hip Ratio
      Women Men
    Upper Body Fat
    Lower Body Fat    		 >0.838
    <0.776    		 >0.913
    <0.861
    Back

    Waist to Thigh Method

        The waist to thigh ratio (WTR) also uses circumferences.   The waist measurement represents the upper body distribution whereas the hip measurement represents the lower body distribution.

            WTR = Abdominal 1/Thigh

    Back

    Trunk to Extremity Ratio Methods

        There are three different protocols for trunk to extremity ratio (TER).   All use skinfolds to represent trunk and extremity anatomical sites:

    1.      Extremity to Trunk Method (ETR)


      2.       Bouchard et al. International Journal of Obesity 12:205-215, 1987.

      Extremity
      • biceps
      • triceps
      • calf
      		 Trunk
      • suprailiac
      • subscapular
      • abdominal

              ETR = (sum of Extremity Skinfolds) / (sum of Trunk Skinfolds)

    2.      Trunk to Extremity Ratio (TER)

      3.      Bouchard et al. New England Journal of Medicine 322:1477-1482, 1990.

      Trunk
      • suprailiac
      • subscapular
      • pectoral
      • abdominal
      • midaxillary
      		 Extremity
      • biceps
      • triceps
      • thigh
      • knee
      • calf

              TER = (sum of Trunk Skinfolds) / (sum of Extremity Skinfolds)

    3.      Despres Trunk to Extremity Ratio (TER)

         Despres et al. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 54:471-477, 1991.

    Extremity
    • biceps
    • triceps
    • thigh
    • calf
    		 Trunk
    • suprailiac
    • subscapular
    • abdominal

            TER = (sum of Trunk Skinfolds) / (sum of Extremity Skinfolds)

    Back


    Central to Peripheral Ratio Method
    Mueller et al. American Journal of Epidemiology 133:858-869, 1991

        The Central to Peripheral ratio (CPR) also uses skinfolds:

    Central
    • suprailiac
    • subscapular

    		 Peripheral
    • biceps
    • triceps
    • thigh
    • calf

            CPR=[(sum of Central Skinfolds)/2] / (sum of peripheral skinfolds)/4]
    Back


    Upper to Lower Body Ratio (ULR)
    Mueller et al. American Journal of Epidemiology 133:858-869, 1991

    Upper Body
    • biceps
    • triceps
    • subscapular
    		 Lower Body
    • suprailiac
    • thigh
    • calf

            ULR = (sum of Upper Body Skinfolds)/(sum of Lower Body Skinfolds)

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