Preparation

To keep the results as accurate as possible; we do recommend the control of some variables prior to scanning your members.

These recommendations include:

Ensuring typical water volume and distribution

• Scan prior to exercise and 6 - 12 hours post excercise.

• Stand upright for 5 - 10 minutes to evenly distribute water throughout the body.

• Avoid caffeine and alcohol for at least 12 hours (24 hour is preferable)

  Caffeine is a diuretic, meaning it increases fluid loss through Urine. This can temporarily alter body water levels which may effect measurements like:

• Total Body Water (TBW)

• ECW / TBW ratio

• Muscle Mass estimates (since water is a key measurement in calculations)

  Alcohol also affects hydration and fluid balance and can lead to temporary bloating, water retention or dehydration; all of which can affect results of:

• Visceral Fat

• Water Distribution

• Phase angle / cell health

  Improve accuracy in fat mass calculations

• Avoid eating or drinking for 2 - 3 hours prior (water is okay in usual amounts leading up to the scan)

• Go to the toilet before hand

• Wear light weight clothing

Maintain normal body temperature

• Avoid hot showers or saunas prior to testing

Try to keep measurement conditions the same for each scan

• Same time of day

• Same body temperature

• Same hydration status

• Same test clothing weight
  
  Considerations prior to testing

• Metallic implants are okay to test with, however they may slightly alter results.

• If you are pregnant, testing is safe

• Glucose monitors are okay to test with

• Testing should not be carried out if your member has a pacemaker.
  
  Please download the InBody App and complete the set up of your InBody account on your phone prior to your appointment.

Proper Posture

Measuring height with Stadiometer

• Ensure there are no items at the top of your head (including sunglasses, hats, high hair styles etc)

• Turn your back towards the stand and stand on the footplate

• Ensure heels are in within the guides on the footplate

• Look straight ahead and stand upright

• DO NOT lean on the stand

  • If the examinee leans on the stand, the weight might distribute unevenly causing inaccurate results.

• While measuring, do no strain your body and maintain a relaxed posture.

Test Posture

Ensure the person being tested has wipes the palms of their hands and bottom of feet with the supplied wipes to ensure the electrodes conduct efficiently through the body.

• The InBody automatically starts testing when the body and the electrode are in precise contact.

• Arms must not touch the sides of the body.

• Keep the arms straight.

• The thighs should not touch each other, if they do place a towel in between the legs.

• Hold the hand electrode so that the 4 fingers wrap the surface of the bottom electrode and place the thumb on the oval electrode.

• Ensure the heels are evenly placed on the footplate electrodes.

Guidelines & Results

The InBody Score is a number out of 100 that reflects your overall body composition — including muscle, fat, and weight balance for your height and gender.

A higher score means more muscle and healthy fat levels - muscular physiques can have a score of above 100.
A lower score can indicate low muscle mass or higher body fat.

It’s a quick way to track progress and overall body balance.

Total Body Water* (L) represents the total volume of Intracellular Water (ICW) and Extracellular Water (ECW) in the body.
Intracellular Water (ICW) represents the total weight of the body water INSIDE of the cells (including muscle cells).
Extracellular Water (ECW) represents the total weight of the body water OUTSIDE of the cells.
Total Body Water usually accounts for 55% of total body weight for Females and 60% for males (as a guide)

Protein* (kg) The total weight of protein contained mainly in the muscles.
Minerals* (Kg) The total weight of minerals in the body. These are mainly contained in the bone, with only a small amount dissolved in the body water.
Body Fat Mass* (Kg) The weight of sub-cutaneous (surface level) and visceral (internal level) fat in the body.
Soft Lean Mass Total Body Water (including small amount of Non-Osseous minerals) + Protein. You can think of this mass as ‘soft’ because it does not contain bone or fat.
Fat Free Mass Total Body Water + Protein + Minerals. The total weight of everything in the body excluding Body Fat Mass. This value includes water, skin, muscle, organs, and bone.

*For all measured values in the Body Composition Analysis section, normal ranges are provided in the brackets of the InBody Results Sheet.

Muscle - Fat Analysis

Skeletal Muscle Mass (SMM) The total weight of an individual’s skeletal muscle mass (the muscle that can be developed through exercise), comparable to ideal (100%) for height and gender.

Body Fat Mass The total weight of an individual’s body fat mass, comparable to ideal (100%) for height and gender.

C for CAUTIOUS

When the length of the body weight and fat mass bar is longer than the skeletal muscle mass bar, we see a resulting C shape. Individuals with a “C” body type may be at higher risk of developing lifestyle-related diseases. If weight and fat mass are above the normal range, we would encourage this person to lose fat mass and gain muscle mass.

If weight and fat mass are within the healthy range, aim to gain muscle mass.

I for IDEAL

In this case, the length of the weight, skeletal muscle, and body fat bars are even. If all 3 bars are within the healthy range, we can interpret that this person has a healthy balance of fat and muscle for their body weight.

The individual should aim to maintain this balance or to further develop muscle mass. However, if all three bars are above the healthy range, individuals should aim to reduce fat mass whilst maintaining muscle.

D for DEVELOPED

The “D” body type occurs when the length of the skeletal muscle mass bar is longer than the body weight or fat mass bar. This body type is commonly seen among body builders and professional athletes with high muscle and low body fat. However, if the weight and body fat mass bars are still above the healthy range, individuals should aim to reduce fat mass whilst maintaining muscle.

Obesity Analysis

Body Mass Index (BMI)
The normal range provided on the results sheet is based on the World Health Organisation’s classification of a normal BMI between 18.5kg/m2 and 24.99kg/m2. A BMI above 24.99 alongside a high PBF can indicate poor health status and an increased risk of developing chronic disease. On the other hand, a BMI below 18.5 accompanied by a low PBF can indicate malnutrition.

Percent Body Fat (PBF)
Subcutaneous and visceral body fat is displayed as a percentage of total body weight. This section is useful to evaluate whether weight loss has come from a true reduction in body fat. If weight decreases but PBF is stable, the weight loss did not come from losing fat mass.
An individual’s body fat percentage is compared to the normal ranges for gender:

• 10-20% for males

• 18-28% for females
  
  Visceral Fat Area
  Visceral fat is stored deep in the abdominal cavity, surrounding vital organs. It’s different from the subcutaneous fat (just under the skin) and is more strongly linked to health risks. VFA is measured in cm2 and gives a clear indication of internal fat levels.

• Below 100cm2 (or below level 10) is considered healthy

• 100cm2 - 160cm2 (or level 10 - 16) is elevated risk 

• above 160cm2 (or level 16+) is high risk and commonly associated with insulin resistance, type 2 disbetes and Cardiovascular disease.

  
  Goals for reducing VFA:

• Improve diet quality: reduce processed sugars, alcohol & trans fats.

• Training: HIIT, resistance training & cardio.

• Get adequate sleep and manage stress levels.

• Limit alcohol and visceral fat promoting habits.

• Track progress every 4 - 6 weeks with consistent conditions.
  
  Segmental Lean Analysis
  For the upper body, imbalances are considered significant if there is a difference of greater than 6% between the left and right arms. For the lower body, a difference greater than 3% between the left and right leg is considered a significant imbalance.

Who might have left and right side muscle imbalance?
Individuals with a dominant/preferred side.
Individuals undergoing rehabilitation for injury (often the rehabilitating side can become more dominant)

Who might have upper and lower body muscle imbalance?
Sedentary adults may have less developed lower body muscle.
Individuals who focus on resistance training mainly upper body or mainly lower body can have greater muscle development in their preferred area.

What is considered a severe left and right side muscle imbalance?
Over 10% difference in lean mass sufficiency between the arms.
Over 5% difference in lean mass sufficiency between the legs.

What is considered a severe upper and lower body muscle imbalance?
Over 2 scale spaces difference in lean mass sufficiency between the arms and legs

Extracellular Water /Total Body Water Analysis

Total Body Water is made up of Extracellular Water (ECW) + Intracellular Water (ICW).
A normal range for this section is 0.360-0.390, which indicates that there is a normal balance of 3 parts ICW to 2 parts ECW.
We aim to have higher intracellular water than extracellular water.

What if the ECW/TBW ratio is above 0.390?
Any swelling/fluid retention in the body can increase ECW and the ECW/TBW ratio.
Swelling/fluid retention may be caused by:

• Chronic conditions with associated fluid retention, such as kidney / liver disease / dysfunction or heart disease.

• Injury to body tissues (I.e., muscle) can cause a temporary increase in ECW.

• Obesity and high levels of fat mass with low Skeletal Muscle can cause an increase in ECW relative to ICW

• It can signify full body inflammation.

  If your results do show a ratio of above 0.390; This is best to be monitored over time.

  An increased ECW/TBW ratio can also be caused by factors that alter the body’s water balance by decreasing ICW in respect to ECW.

  For example: Malnutrition or Cancer cachexia.

  
  What if the ECW/TBW ratio is below 0.360?

  If the ECW/TBW ratio drops below 0.360, this is due to an increased amount of ICW in the body in respect to ECW.

  This is most likely due to:

• Highly developed muscle - as muscle cells containing ICW grow in size, the volume of ICW contained within them increases.
  
  Segmental ECW Ratio

  We would expect ECW ratio for each segment to be within the same normal range as the whole-body ECW/TBW ratio (0.360-0.390).
  If a body segment is displaying greater Lean Mass (shown on the Kg bar), but the ECW ratio is above normal ranges (or above what it was in previous scans), we can interpret that there may be increased fluid in this area rather than increased muscle mass.

  
  Phase Angle

  Phase Angle is a valuable indicator of cell membrane integrity, and therefore cell health.

  Strong cell membranes prevent unwanted materials from entering the cell.

  Clinical research has found that higher Phase Angles are associated with better cell health and improved disease prognosis.

  A low Phase Angle may be caused by malnutrition, excessive alcohol intake, cancer and its associated treatments, or poor lifestyle choices.
  Phase Angle also naturally decreases with age. Individuals that have sufficient lean body mass and adequate nutrition status often exhibit higher Phase Angles. An increase in phase angle over time can determine recovery, within your body and correlates with your athletic performance.

  For Males, a healthy Whole Body Phase Angle would be above 5 degrees.

  For Females, a healthy Whole Body Phase Angle would be above 4 degrees.