InBody Scanner: How to guide, top tips and the data explained!
We’d recommend you use the InBody Scanner to gain an understanding of your body composition. The information is from a reliable source but not something to base all of your decisions on. Speak to one of the CrossFit Jorvik Coaches, they can further help you interpret the information and recommend the best steps going forward.
When you use the InBody Scanner there are a few variables to control to provide an accurate and reliable reading:
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Try to avoid eating a meal 2-3 hours before.
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Try to avoid exercising before, if possible leave 12 hours.
A few tips to help…
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If possible, earlier in the day is better, this means there is less time to monitor the variables and will help increase the chance they stay consistent from one test to another.
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Use the scanner when you come to the gym for a class as most of us have a routine and this will aid the repeatability and accuracy. However, turn up a little earlier and allow time before a class, not afterwards.
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Wear the same clothes (maybe have an InBody outfit to make sure). Whilst having the same outfit will increase the measurement consistency; you will also be able to see potential changes in how the clothes fit to give further information and measurements for your goal and any changes.
How to use and interpret the measurements:
The scanner will produce lots of data. The keys points to look for are:
- Overall Weight/Mass (kg)
- Body Fat Mass (kg)
- Skeletal Muscle Mass (kg)
- Body Fat Percentage (%)
- Visceral fat levels (The fat around your vital organs)
- Imbalances in muscle distribution
- BMR – (Calories needed to be alive)
If we are looking for overall health and wanting to create a change (goal) we need to know what direction and change we would like to make and create a goal/target accordingly.
Once we have established what we are aiming to achieve, we need to look at a combination of the above points; not the individual points in isolation. When looking in isolation the points can be at times misleading and also not have health as a priority.
To further explain, here are some common changes or goals…
‘I would like to lose weight!’
- Would you like to reduce your overall mass or reduce body fat mass, or potentially both?
- Would you like to lose some muscle mass?
‘I want to gain some weight!’
- Would you like to increase your overall body mass, increase body fat mass or increase muscle mass?
As you can see from the points above, these common goals can have different meanings and therefore results.
Once we have established a goal that is specific, we can now create a plan to achieve this and we are able to monitor specific progress and changes.
Finally, we recommend that you use the scanner no more than every 4 weeks or so. If you take measures more frequently than this it can pick up fluctuations instead of longer term trends. We care about the overall trend and what direction this is; not individual snapshots as there could be multiple factors that may affect this.
Fig.1. Here is an example of the print out you will receive after your measurement. You can also get some data on the InBody App.
By Sam Parish