Tag: Fitness testing

Archimedes' principle, a foundational law of physics, provides the scientific basis for how water displacement method is used to measure body fat. This technique, known as hydrostatic weighing, relies on the fact that fat mass and lean mass have different densities, causing a person's weight to change in a predictable way when submerged in water. By comparing a person's weight on land versus underwater, specialists can precisely calculate their body density and, from there, their body fat percentage.

According to research published in the *British Journal of Nutrition*, skinfold measurement techniques, including the tricep skinfold test, are a long-established method for estimating body composition and total body fat percentage. This method provides a practical and cost-effective way to track changes in subcutaneous fat over time.

Comprising up to 60% of the human body, water is a foundational element for life, impacting everything from cellular function to organ performance. This critical fluid also plays a pivotal, yet often overlooked, role in the accuracy of modern body composition analysis, making proper hydration essential for reliable results.

Over 70% of adults in the United States are considered overweight or obese based on Body Mass Index (BMI). However, BMI doesn't tell the full story about health, which is why it is crucial to know how do you evaluate body composition to get a true picture of your fat-to-muscle ratio.