Category

Body Composition Analysis

Mar 10 2023
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Workout during Ramadan

How to Retain Your Muscle During Ramadan Fasting?

By Body Composition, Body Composition Analysis, Diet, Muscle, Nutrition

Ramadan is a month of fasting observed by Muslims worldwide. During this time, Muslims abstain from food and drink from dawn until dusk. Depending on the location, the fasting period can last up to 15 hours.

With such a lengthy fasting period, it can be challenging to maintain muscle mass during Ramadan. However, with a few tips and tricks, it is possible to retain your muscle mass even during this fasting period.

Workout during Ramadan

Plan Your Workouts Wisely

Strengthening exercises are essential to maintain muscle mass during Ramadan. However, it is recommended to decrease the volume and intensity of your workouts during the first week of Ramadan. This allows your body to adapt to the fasting routine and helps prevent injury.

It’s important to note that working out in a fasted state may not be the best option for your body. It can be tough on your body’s homeostasis, especially if you’re already dehydrated. You definitely don’t want to risk passing out in the gym.

When it comes to fitting in workouts during Ramadan, it can be challenging to find the right time that works for you. However, you may try scheduling your workouts between Maghrib (sunset) and Isha (night) prayers, or after Isha prayers at night. Another alternative is to work out right before Sahur in the morning.

Listen to your body and see how it responds to working out at different times of the day.

Protein intake

Keep Track of Your Protein Intake

You must be familiar with the role of protein in your diet, which is essential for muscle growth and repair. During Ramadan, it is essential to keep track of enough protein to maintain muscle mass. Consuming enough protein helps in muscle recovery and prevents muscle loss.

Include protein-rich foods during meals in Sahur and Iftar, such as chicken, beef, fish, eggs, dairy products, and legumes. It is recommended to consume protein-rich foods during the evening meal and before the pre-dawn meal.

In addition to preserving muscle mass, consuming a high-protein meal n has been shown to reduce hunger. This may help you stay focused throughout the day by reducing your food cravings.

Studies have demonstrated that protein is more filling than carbohydrates or fats. Additionally, protein has a high thermic effect, meaning that the body burns more calories during the digestion and absorption of protein compared to carbohydrates and fats.

Pastry after Ramadan fasting

Don’t Lose Control Of Your Calorie Intake

During the month of Ramadan, it’s important to be mindful of your eating habits. Although fasting for long hours without food and water can be challenging, it’s easy to fall into the trap of overeating during the night.

This is because the Ramadan bazaar is filled with a wide variety of high-calorie foods that are readily available just around the corner. From Murtabak to Ayam Percik, the options are endless and tempting.

To avoid overindulging, try to stick to your pre-Ramadan diet and keep track of your calories as much as possible. This can help you maintain a healthy eating habit and make it easier to return to your routine and diet once Ramadan is over.

What Happens to Your Body During Cyclic Overeating

Hydration after Ramadan fasting

Keep Hydration in Check

During Ramadan, it is crucial to maintain proper hydration levels throughout the day to avoid dehydration. Although you may be tempted to drink a lot of water all at once, it is essential to avoid this, as it can cause bloating and discomfort. Instead, try drinking small amounts of water throughout the night to replenish fluids lost during the day.

In addition to water, consider incorporating hydrating fluids such as coconut water or sports drinks to maintain optimal hydration levels. You can also consider incorporating more fruits and vegetables (foods with high water content) into your diet during the night to keep you hydrated.

Additionally, dehydration can lead to reduced blood flow and muscle weakness, so it is essential to stay hydrated to maintain your physical strength and performance during workouts after “berbuka puasa”.

Muscle changes during Ramadan fasting

Keep An Eye On Your Muscle Mass during Ramadan fasting

Retaining muscle mass is challenging during fasting, so it is important to have a good understanding of the muscle mass you already have. Tracking changes in your muscle mass throughout the month can help you make adjustments to your diet and exercise routine to ensure that you are maintaining your muscle mass. This is where a body composition analysis comes into play.

By analyzing your body composition, you can get a better understanding of your Skeletal Muscle Mass, Percent Body Fat, and other important metrics. Armed with this information, you can make more informed decisions about your diet and exercise routine during Ramadan to stay intact with your gains.

How often should you test body composition?

Start tracking your progress with an InBody machine today and see the difference it can make. Find the nearest location for an InBody test here.

Conclusion

Maintaining muscle mass during Ramadan fasting can be challenging, but it is possible with a few tips and tricks. Consuming enough protein, staying hydrated, and exercising with a flexible routine during the non-fasting hours can help retain muscle mass during this period.

Remember to consult with your doctor before making any dietary or exercise changes during Ramadan if you have any medical condition. With the right approach, you can maintain your muscle mass and stay healthy during Ramadan fasting.

Feb 08 2023
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An elderly man wonders how to measure muscle mass.

How to Measure Muscle Mass Accurately: A Gym Beginner’s Guide

By BIA, Blog, Body Composition Analysis, Health, Muscle

Congratulations on taking the first step towards your fitness journey by subscribing to a gym membership! Building muscle and seeing progress can be exciting, but it’s also important to track your progress accurately. This beginner’s guide will cover how to measure muscle mass over time, including a particular focus on using an InBody device.

Download the guide to get an accurate InBody test.

Gym beginner works out with coach

How to measure muscle mass?

There are several ways to keep tabs on your progress, each with its advantages and drawbacks. Some of the most popular approaches are listed below:

1. Visual Inspection

The simplest way to track muscle growth is through visual inspection. This usually involves looking in the mirror or taking photos of your body to see if there is any noticeable change in muscle size. This is why so many gymgoers enjoy posting their accomplishments on social media.

This method is quick and straightforward, but it is also somewhat arbitrary. If you’ve just started working out, it might be difficult to see changes in your muscles within a few weeks.

Even though you are making gains in muscle, it may let you down if the changes aren’t immediately visible in the mirror.

Gym builder inspecting his progress in the mirror

2. Tape Measurements

Taking body circumference measurements using tapes, such as bicep and thigh circumference, is another way to track muscle growth. This method is more accurate than visual inspection.

However, the tape measurement result may be inaccurate, especially if you are overweight. According to research, even medical professionals may struggle to prevent tape measurement errors for their obese patients.

3. Weightlifting Progress Tracking

Monitoring the progression of your weightlifting can help you observe your muscle mass growth. This can be done by recording the weight lifted, repetition count, and set quantity for each workout.

You may download progress-tracking apps like InBody and Strong to assist you. If you see an increase in the weight you can lift or the number of reps you can perform, it is likely that your muscles have grown.

4. Body Composition Analysis

Body composition analysis is a more advanced method of tracking muscle growth.

There are numerous methods for body composition analysis, ranging from a DXA scan, which is one of the gold standard measurements, to a body weighing scale that claims to be able to check your body’s muscle mass.

💡 As one of the high-accuracy alternatives to DXA scanning, InBody devices would be appropriate and cost-effective tools for you to track muscle mass over time.

The InBody devices are currently being used in a growing number of gym settings. Consider finding a convenient location to take an InBody test and track your muscle growth.

Where can I get the InBody test?

An elderly man wonders how to measure muscle mass.

Tips to help you effectively track your muscle mass:

1. Be consistent with your tracking methods.

Always remember that it’s crucial to track your progress using the same method and device. This is due to the fact that different devices may use a different technological and algorithmic approaches to measuring muscle mass. In progress tracking, comparing your results with different devices every month would be misleading.

2. Be mindful of the precautions and steps of measurement.

Many gym goers are not concerned about when to measure and what to look for during the measurement. However, improper posture and measuring right after workouts and meals, for example, definitely lead to inaccuracies in measurement. Your efforts in the workout may be disguised by inaccurate measurement results.

Download the guide to get an accurate InBody test.

3. Track progress regularly, such as every two to four weeks.

Tracking your progress consistently will help you see how far you’ve progressed since the baseline. Knowing whether your current workout and diet plan are appropriate for your specific situation is important. If the results do not match your expectations, you may know it’s time to review your fitness approach.

How frequently should you track your fitness progress?

4. Discuss your progress with an expert.

Discuss your workout plan with a professional regularly. If you receive an InBody result, as shown below, it will be easy for both you and the expert to understand your current progress.

The image above from InBody results clearly illustrates the muscle mass in different body parts.

This can make it easier for you to communicate with an expert, like a physiotherapist or personal trainer. They can give you a lot of personalized advice and point out areas where you can improve.

5. Celebrate your progress, no matter how small.
You might think your progress is insignificant after scrolling through the attractive physique photos posted by gym enthusiasts. This could be demotivating somehow.

However, they put in a lot of work and it takes them years to succeed. And yet, it’s not surprising to hear that they’ve already been through what you’re going through. It’s worth a blast of celebration even if you discover that you broke your Personal Record (PR) or that you gained 0.1 kg of muscle.

A women is happy with her gains

Conclusion

Measuring muscle growth is an important step in tracking your progress toward your fitness goals. With the right tools and mindset, you can have an idea of how to measure muscle mass accurately and reach your muscle growth goals sooner.

By using these methods and tips, you’ll be able to effectively measure your muscle growth and track your progress toward a stronger, healthier you.

 

 

 

Jan 31 2023
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A mother is watching her daughter having meals

5 Ways to Prevent Childhood Obesity: A Parent’s Guide

By BIA, Body Composition, Body Composition Analysis, Children, Health

Maintaining a healthy body fat percentage is essential for a child’s growth and development. In order to prevent childhood obesity, parents and healthcare providers should monitor body fat and educate children on healthy lifestyle choices.

Don’t be worried if your child has more body fat than expected. The good news is that you can help your children maintain a healthy body fat percentage by taking a few simple steps.

A child try to take a strawberry from the table

Healthy food choices to prevent childhood obesity

Food choice is the most important factor determining your child’s health and growth. It’s important for you to help them develop healthy eating habits and limit calorie-rich temptations.

This means avoiding processed foods and sugary drinks. Instead, introduce more nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains into your child’s daily diet.

💡 One of the examples would be keeping a supply of nutritious, ready-to-eat food at home.

These include a variety of fruits that can be consumed raw, like apples, grapes, and bananas.

You could include more dairy products, such as low-fat or flavor-infused milk, cheese, yoghurt, whole-grain snacks, or low-sugar biscuits. Remind your children to pick these foods if they are hungry and in a hurry.

A mother is watching her daughter having meals

Monitor the meal frequency and portion size

Start by encouraging regular meal times and limiting snacking between meals. You’re helping to regulate their appetite and making sure they’re getting the right amount of nutrients for optimal growth and development.

And don’t rush through meals; encourage your child to eat slowly; this way they can learn to recognize when they’re full and prevent overeating.

You should be conscious of the portion sizes you serve your children. To make sure your child eats enough food throughout the day, you may schedule 3 main meals and 2 snacks. If you plan your child’s meals thoughtfully, you can address both the budget and the nutrients needed at the same time.

To ensure that the menu you planned is suitable, you may refer to the checklist below:

  • Is your child eating a variety of foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day?
  • Does he consume foods from all food groups?
  • Does he drink milk and plain water on a daily basis?
  • Do you make an effort to prepare meals using healthy cooking methods such as steaming, baking, or roasting on a daily basis?
  • Is the food selection being repeated too frequently? For instance, fried chicken 5 times per week.
  • Is the meal you made high in nutritional value/nutrient density?

Tips to prepare a healthy menu for your children

Parent having outdoor activities with child to prevent childhood obesity

Get your kids to be more active

Parents should also try to limit the amount of screen time that their children are getting, as excessive screen time has been linked to an increased risk of obesity in children.

Instead of nagging your kids to stop spending too much time on their phones or iPads, you should suggest an engaging activity to do together as a substitute for playing games on the phone.

Here are some helpful exercise ideas for you and your kids:

  • Take family walks or play active games together to incorporate physical activity into your family’s daily routine.
  • You could get your kids some new sports equipment that promotes physical activity.
  • Take the kids to places where they can be active, like public parks, community football fields, or basketball courts.

How much physical activity do children need?

A child is sleeping

Make sure your child gets enough sleep

A study that followed nearly 1,000 children from birth to age 15 discovered that earlier bedtimes can have a long-term impact. The researchers discovered that preschoolers who went to bed before 8 p.m. had half the risk of obesity as those who went to bed after 9 p.m.

Given that inadequate sleep is closely related to childhood obesity, it’s important to establish a regular sleep routine with your children.

Stick to the routine as much as possible to ensure your kid gets adequate sleep. This should include a consistent bedtime routine, such as setting a bedtime and wake-up time.

The most important thing is that before they go to sleep, your kids aren’t kept up by things like their favorite iPad movies. To achieve optimal sleeping quality, you are responsible for creating a comfortable and dark sleeping environment for them.

Keeping soda away before bedtime can also be beneficial. The extra sugar and caffeine from soda may also play a factor in poor sleep quality.

How much sleep should your children get?

Keep ‘Percent Body Fat’ on track

Your children’s body weight is increasing most likely from a combination of bone growth, lean muscle development, and fat accumulation.

However, it can be challenging to tell if your kids are gaining the necessary amount of weight. Weight gain could sometimes be a result of higher body fat levels due to an unhealthy lifestyle.

Check the impact of high body fat on your child’s growth.

💡 Most parents may believe that as long as their children do not appear to be overweight, everything is fine. However, there may be unseen risks arising in your child that are not visible to the naked eye.

This is how InBody reveals the “hidden” body fat of a child with a normal BMI.

Childhood Obesity with Normal BMI

The ideal objective should be to concentrate on bone and muscle growth rather than excess body fat. By assessing Percent Body Fat (PBF) on a regular basis with the InBody device, you will be able to determine whether your child’s lifestyle is healthy while under your care.

Get your child an InBody test now.

Summary

Parents are the biggest influence in children’s lives. They look up to you and tend to follow your lifestyle as part of their learning process.

However, simply telling them to live a healthy lifestyle may not be enough. To truly instill healthy habits in your children, you must set a good example as a parent.

Monitoring your child’s body fat and growth consistently to prevent childhood obesity will undoubtedly require some effort.

However, if you discover that your child’s body does not respond well to the effort you put in for their lifestyle changes, a consultation with your family doctor or a pediatrician will definitely be necessary. By doing so, you’ll be able to better comprehend the risks that come with childhood obesity and take measures to prevent them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jan 18 2023
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An obese child is having french fries

Childhood Obesity: Impacts on your child’s growth

By BIA, Blog, Body Composition, Body Composition Analysis, Fat mass, Nutrition

Overview

Body fat monitoring is critical for your child’s health, particularly in preventing childhood obesity. Excess body fat can lead to negative health impacts such as weakened immunity, chronic disease, and poor learning capacity. Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) is one of the methods suggested to measure children’s body fat and evaluate their overall health effectively.

Understand the role of body fat in your child’s growth

You may already be aware that excessive body fat has a number of harmful effects that are being discovered by researchers. Not to mention the flood of awareness about childhood obesity posts in your social media newsfeed.

To most people, body fat may sound incredibly terrifying. But, in reality, body fat is a necessary part of your child’s body that provides energy, supports brain development, and aids in the absorption of vital nutrients such as fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K).

Children height and growth

Nevertheless, higher body fat may have an adverse impact on child growth. According to a study, obesity and excess weight have different effects on boys and girls when it comes to the onset of puberty. It can speed up puberty in girls while delaying it in boys.

What does it mean if puberty happens sooner?

Researchers discovered that once puberty is over, growth stops. These children stop growing sooner because early-onset puberty ends earlier than usual puberty. The final findings show that children who reach puberty earlier have a shorter overall adult height.

An obese child is having french fries

Causes of childhood obesity

Despite the fact that parents’ genetic and hormonal factors can play a role in childhood obesity, study show that the diet provided to your child has a significant impact on their healthy growth.

Your child requires a certain number of calories for growth and development. When they eat more calories than they burn, their bodies store the excess calories as fat.

A poor diet high in fat or sugar and low in nutrients can cause children to gain body fat quickly. Fast food, candy, and soft drinks are all common foods that contribute to the problems.

Lack of exercise is another factor in childhood obesity. When people of all ages are less active, they tend to gain weight. Abnormally long screen time is a major potential barrier to your child being active.

Drawing of childhood obesity

Long-term effects of childhood obesity

You may already be aware that excessive body fat has a number of harmful effects that are being discovered by researchers.

A higher body weight gained during childhood usually indicates a higher accumulation of body fat over time. According to WHO and research, childhood obesity may have various negative impact to your child:

  • breathing difficulties
  • increased risk of fractures
  • hypertension
  • heart disease
  • insulin resistance
  • poor learning capacity
  • lower emotional well-being

Furthermore, if childhood obesity is not addressed at an early stage. This may lead to long-term consequences in their adulthood, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Examine the best ways to protect your child from childhood obesity.

Measuring body fat in your child

The Body Mass Index (BMI) is the most common tool to check whether your child is overweight. Healthcare professionals frequently use BMI-for-age growth charts from the CDC or WHO to monitor children ‘s growth. A BMI above the recommended range could indicate excessive body fat.

However, BMI does not directly measure body fat. It is a calculation based on weight and height. In other words, it does not take into account factors such as muscle mass, water weight, and bone density changes in your child.

For example, a child who has a normal BMI may still have a high body fat percentage. This is why it is important to use other methods to measure body fat. This could give you a more accurate picture of your child’s health.

There are many ways to test your child’s body fat to determine if it is within the normal range.

InBody devices are one of the methods for measuring your child’s body fat effectively. The technique named Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) is implemented in InBody devices.

As BIA technology measures body fat in a quick, painless, and non-invasive manner, it is a safe and comfortable option for children. All your kids have to do is stand on the machine and hold the handles for less than a minute.

It can give you more insight into your child’s weight by providing their body composition information, including their body water, muscle mass, and body fat percentage. This information is useful to assess your child’s growth and health over time.

Following a comprehensive test with InBody, a complete result sheet will be printed out on which you can observe your kid’s health condition.

Child's Muscle-Fat AnalysisAccording to the image above, which is part of the sample printed result sheet, this normal weight child has a higher Body Fat Mass than the normal range according to the child’s gender and height.

It would be helpful if your family doctors or other healthcare professionals could assist you in interpreting the results. This information could help you learn more about your child’s health.

More importantly, you’ll be able to have a more productive discussion and make an informed decision about what you can do to prevent childhood obesity.

Start to monitor your child’s body composition at the selected InBody locations!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dec 07 2022
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Are protein bars good for fat loss?

By Body Composition, Body Composition Analysis, Diet, Muscle, Nutrition

Protein bars are popular because they’re convenient, and they make it easy to get your protein fix without having to cook or even think about it.

But are they actually good for you? Are they good for fat loss? 

protein bars on the table

What’s inside protein bars?

Protein bars are often marketed as a healthy snack option for people who want to lose weight or maintain their weight because they contain fewer calories than regular candy bars or other sweet treats.

Most protein bars contain 150-400 calories and 10-20 grammes of protein per serving, though some contain closer to 30 grammes of protein per serving.

The protein source of the could be varies. Some of them could come from dairy products like yoghurt, whey, and milk; some of them could be mostly plant-based products like soybeans and nuts.

This convenient feature of high-protein foods has demonstrated why it has become a gym rat favourite, as it helps them save time while ensuring adequate protein intake per day.

A women is showing her fat loss result

Are protein bars good for fat loss?

Eating fewer calories than your body uses and needs in a day is the main key to fat loss.

Protein bars can be beneficial for fat loss when used properly as a meal replacement to reduce your calorie intake. One example of calorie reduction is replacing a 650-calorie burger set meal with a 200-calorie protein bar.

However, replacing only one of your meals throughout the day is generally recommended. Replacing more than one meal may result in an excessively low calorie diet, which may result in a weight loss rebound effect.

According to a study, people who follow a low-calorie diet may experience short-term weight loss benefits, but most of them regained fat mass, particularly in the visceral area. To prevent weight loss rebound and detrimental health effect, think twice before overly restricting your calories.

In addition, some of the protein bars contain a lot of sugar and use unhealthy sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which has been linked to an increased risk of chronic diseases if consumed on a regular basis.

By reading the ingredient list carefully, you would be able to determine how the protein bars could fit into your fat loss diet.

A man is eating protein bars after a workout

Are protein bars the best source of protein?

Protein bars aren’t the only way to increase your protein intake. To meet your protein needs and promote a healthy lifestyle, it is a good idea to include whole foods that are high in protein in your meals and snacks.

Natural food with high protein source

 Source: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/protein/

World Health Organization (WHO) establishes 0.83 g of protein per kg of body weight per day as the Safe Level of Protein (SLP), which is expected to meet the protein needs of 97.5 percent of the world’s healthy adult population.

Protein requirement for each population

However, protein requirements may be higher for pregnant women, body builders, and the elderly. You may consult a physician and a clinical dietitian to learn more about how much protein you need based on your current health.

Check your improvement over time

However, it is still preferable to monitor your body fat and muscle changes on a regular basis to determine whether your current diet and lifestyle are effective enough. You can use the map we created with our incredible partners to find the nearest InBody location and check your body health improvement on a regular basis.

Find your nearest test centre

 

Nov 30 2022
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Why body composition monitoring is important in people with disabilities?

By BIA, Body Composition, Body Composition Analysis, Case Studies, Press

The International Day of Persons with Disabilities is celebrated on December 3rd, with one of the goals being to promote support for the well-being of people with disabilities.

A body composition test is an important part of monitoring people with disabilities’ health and well-being. Due to the distinct health issues that many people with disabilities face, such as limb paralysis and restricted mobility. A consistent measurement of body composition changes such as lean mass, body fat, and body water is also critical for their health.

Caring people with disabilities' health is important

Why body composition of people with disabilities should be monitored consistently?

In comparison to the general population, people with disabilities often have lower levels of health awareness and have more difficulty managing their health.

According to a study, the prevalence of obesity among young people with intellectual disabilities (ID) was nearly twice as high as the general population.

People with ID are more prone to obesity, which can lead to a variety of metabolic, pulmonary, and cardiovascular diseases. This emphasises the significance of regular body composition tests for their health awareness and caregiver attention.

Some stroke survivors experience disabilities often have unhealthy lifestyle which is the main cause of stroke development. Body composition tests that raise their awareness is necessary for their post-stroke lifestyle modifications and ongoing well-being in the future.

Challenges in monitoring body composition for people with disabilities

Raising health awareness among people with mental and developmental disabilities may be challenging if complex explanations are made. Meanwhile, you may find it difficult to effectively communicate with patients using the complex results from sophisticated machines.

Particularly, it can be challenging to predict the total caloric need of people with disabilities because it may not be determined in the same manner as the general population. Understanding body composition readings like Fat-Free Mass is crucial to helping you determine a patient’s daily calorie requirements. This would make it easier to develop more personalized fat loss program that work for people with disabilities.

On the other hand, most body composition measurements using BIA devices are taken in standing posture. You’re likely worried that not all people with disabilities will find it convenient to stand for a few minute measurements. Meanwhile, some people with disabilities may have had limbs amputated, making it more difficult to monitor their body composition. Therefore, it can be challenging to find a body composition analyzer that can be perform accurately with different measurement postures and available for amputees.

Rapport Kamiooka measuring their patient body composition with InBody S10

Please consult your healthcare professional for the interpretation of result and diagnosis.

How InBody support the people with disabilities in Yokohama City, Japan ?

Yokohoma City’s Rapport Kamiooka provides a “health promotion programme” with the assistance of a qualified medical staff for people with disabilities. They had demonstrated the effectiveness of our body composition analyzer, InBody S10 in their program.

Planning a diet for a disabled person who has conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes is challenging. They discovered that our body composition analyzer offers some helpful readings in calorie intake calculation, which is crucial in ensuring the disabled person consumes the required nutrients. Therefore, they frequently use the reading of body weight and basal metabolic rate, and adjust the amount of diet by keeping an eye on disabled persons’ muscle and fat mass.

Rapport Kamiooka consulting their patient body composition with InBody result sheet printed

With the printed test results, the physician could communicate with patients who have severe intellectual disabilities (ID) more effectively. Meanwhile, the team’s physical instructor has noticed that people with ID primarily move their lower bodies through walks and do not consciously train their upper bodies. This reflects the fact that their upper bodies and trunks typically have less muscle mass in the result sheet. With this discovery, he intentionally adds upper body exercise to each patient’s training.

A delightful results is observed after 3 months of this programs. A total of 110 people with physical, intellectual, and mental disabilities had found with positive body composition changes. Their overall muscle mass was maintained, while the Body Weight, Body Fat Mass, and Percent Body Fat decreased by an average of 1.3kg, 1.4kg, and 1.2% respectively.

In summary, regular body composition tests are crucially important for people with disabilities. The changes in their body composition are strongly related to their well-being and the effectiveness of the care they receive. A quick and accurate body composition measurement of different postures could revolutionise the way health care professionals provide medical check up and give disabled people the chance to learn more about their own health.

As you know, InBody has been striving to develop a body composition analyzer that can be used by everyone—even people with disabilities! There’s a new version of body water analyzer, BWA 2.0 is able to provide the cell’s function evaluation by measuring the cell’s integrity and structure with enhanced body water measurement accuracy. This could provide you the insight of which patients with disability may requires extra medical attention based on their body composition results.

Click here to learn more.

BWA 2.0 Innovative Body Water Analyzer

 

 

May 10 2022
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Can women gain the same relative amount of muscle mass as men?

By Body Composition, Body Composition Analysis, Fitness, Health, Muscle

If you’re like most women, you’re curious about whether doing the same routine as the men in your CrossFit class will give you the same results. On average, baseline muscle mass in men is 36% greater than in women. In terms of muscle distribution, women tend to have less upper body muscle mass compared to men.

Men have a slight genetic advantage over women because of their higher baseline muscle mass, particularly in the upper body. However, that doesn’t mean that women will gain less muscle mass than men, despite lifting the same amount of weights.

When men and women exercise for the same amount of time, they can accomplish the same amount of gains in muscle mass. While the increase in size was similar between men and women in the study, the relative strength of women actually increased more than men because they were starting with a smaller overall body size.

In addition, it’s worth noting that muscle mass gain may be more affected by individual variations in terms of sensitivity of resistance training responses rather than gender differences.

Does Weightlifting Causes Women To “Look Bulky” ?

What This Means For Women:
It’s possible to gain as much muscle mass as men, but it may take more work on your end because of your slightly lower baseline muscle mass. However, if you’re worried about getting too big, it’s also unlikely to happen due to differences in testosterone (we’ll cover that later,) and how you train.

The first step toward achieving enough amount of muscle mass is to do a body composition analysis to determine how much you have. Click here to read more about the various types of BIA devices that analyse body composition.

May 10 2022
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Does Weightlifting Causes Women To “Look Bulky” ?

By Body Composition, Body Composition Analysis, Health, Muscle

Many women believe that resistance exercise causes weight gain and a “bulky appearance”. Yes, strength training can lead to weight gain. You can almost certainly count on that. That is, nonetheless, totally acceptable.

If the gains you’re seeing are in Lean Body Mass, your weight may stay the same or even rise, but you’ll appear more lean and toned.

Women muscle from the back

Understanding How Muscle is Gained

To begin, let’s be clear about how muscle is gained. Muscle growth occurs when the rate of muscle protein synthesis exceeds the rate of muscle protein breakdown.

In other words, you can only gain muscle through a process in which resistance training breaks down muscle fibers and then repairs them with enough nutrients from diet and rest. As a result, the muscles will grow in size, resulting in [muscle hypertrophy](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6950543/#:~:text=Muscle hypertrophy occurs when muscle,muscle protein breakdown [8].).

It is important to note, however, that muscle hypertrophy occurs at different rates for different people. Building “bulky” muscles take time and effort, and it is not a common result able to be achieved through weightlifting for the majority of women.

Women’s Muscle and Hormone

Women and men muscle difference

It’s understandable that seeing selfies of men in the gym with massive muscles while scrolling through social media can be frightening. And you might worry that working out in the gym will only lead to a bulky appearance.

Contrary to popular belief, women do not have the same level of testosterone as men, which is the primary hormone responsible for muscle hypertrophy. In general, women’s bodies only contain 10% to 20% as much testosterone as men’s bodies. As a result, women are much less likely to gain significant muscle mass from weightlifting.

Can women gain the same relative amount of muscle mass as men?

Have You Eaten and Lifted Enough?

Women cooking for her meals

You might have to eat more calories than you needed to in order to appear “bulky.” This is due to the fact that gaining muscle requires a calorie surplus.

Several studies have shown that women tend to have low-calorie diets and, worse, low protein intake. This dietary habit was strongly linked to sarcopenia or progressive muscle loss. Instead of being concerned about gaining too much muscle, the problem of muscle loss should be prioritized among women.

Aside from that, muscle building requires progressive overload in weightlifting. This is because muscle gain will adapt to the same weight carried during your exercise routine. To achieve greater muscle gain, you must gradually increase the weight lifted.

Learn how much muscle you can gain in a month

The Benefits of Weightlifting for Women

women having a rest after weightlifting

Not only does weightlifting not lead to significant increases in muscle size for women, but it also has numerous other benefits.

Weightlifting can improve bone density, which is particularly important for women as they are more prone to osteoporosis than men. It can also improve balance, coordination, and flexibility.

In addition, weightlifting can boost metabolism and help you burn fat. This is because muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue, even when you’re not exercising. As a result, incorporating weightlifting into your fitness routine can help you achieve your weight loss goals.

Think of weight training as an investment that pays serious dividends down the road. The more muscle you have, the more visceral fat in your body can burn over time.

How to Safely Incorporate Weightlifting into Your Fitness Routine

Women training with coach

Before starting a weightlifting routine, it is important to consult with a certified fitness professional. They could guide you with proper form and technique, which are also crucial to avoiding injury and getting the most out of your workouts.

It is also important to gradually increase weight and intensity and to incorporate rest and recovery time into your routine. This will keep you in good condition and allow you to perform weightlifting exercises safely.

The Importance of Tracking Progress

One of the keys to success in any fitness or nutrition journey is tracking your progress. This is where a body composition analyzer like the InBody machine can be incredibly useful.

Track muscle mass with InBody

By measuring your body composition, you can see how much muscle mass you have gained and how much fat you have lost. This information can help you fine-tune your nutrition and exercise plan so that you can keep making progress toward your goals.

Start tracking your progress with an InBody machine today and see the difference it can make. Find the nearest location for an InBody test here.

Summary

To summarise, weightlifting is a safe and effective form of exercise that will not make you “look bulky” in the majority of cases. Weightlifting is a valuable addition to your fitness routine because of its numerous benefits, including increased bone density, metabolism, physical strength, and mental health.

By incorporating weightlifting into your exercise routine and dispelling the myth of “bulky muscles,” you can meet your fitness goals while also improving your overall health and well-being.

So, jump off your treadmill and give the free weights a try! By doing so, you’ll not only dispel this myth but also reap the numerous benefits that weightlifting has to offer.

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