In part 1 of this series you learned about how body fat testing is a prediction not a measurement. Bia or bioelectrical impedance analysis is a non invasive measurement of body fat lean muscle mass and hydration. While not as accurate as skinfold measurements taken by a trained. Now lets talk about bia. Since the advent of the first commercially available devices. In part 2 you learned about underwater weighing and in part 3 you learned about the bod pod.
In bia a weak electric current flows through the body and the voltage is measured in order to calculate impedance of the body. Therefore if a person is more muscular there is a high chance that the person will also have more body water which leads to lower impedance. Most body water is stored in muscle. Bia sends a weak electrical impulse through the. However the convienience of this method comes at a price of accuracy. When you step on the scale a small electrical current runs up through your leg and across your.
Body circumference measurements and body fat scales that use bioelectrical impedance are both methods you can do on your own. Bioelectrical impedance analysis is a commonly used method for estimating body composition in particular body fat and muscle mass. Such scales work with the help of sensors underneath your feet that use bioelectrical impedance. Bioelectrical impedance bia bia is one of the quickest and easiest methods for predicting body fat. A small current is used to measure the resistance at difference frequencies against the various tissues in the body eg fatlipid has a high resistance to the flow of current therefore shows a high impedance reading. Body fat scales use bioelectrical impedance analysis bia to estimate the relative percentages of different tissues and substances within the body.