Discoveries in technology are constantly reinventing traditional methods of testing protocol and measurements across almost all industries. The same advent of technological breakthroughs is also experienced in health. Over the past half-century, other forms of body composition testing were developed that used a different approach based on more cutting edge body imaging technology.

Most notably, X-ray imaging devices opened a new door to body composition analysis. This method differs from hydrostatic testing in a few major ways. This is due to the advanced X-ray technology that leave little guesswork and no extra calculations to provide accurate data.

Unlike hydrostatic weighing, there is no need to expel air, remove clothing or do any type of preparation before a DEXA scan. Most methods of body composition testing only provide a reading of total body fat and lean mass.

DEXA offers a comprehensive regional analysis across all major areas of the body, which gives clients specific information on their fat and lean mass distribution.

This can help point out muscle imbalances and inform physical training interventions, if needed. A main piece of information that is missing from hydrostatic weighing is its ability to measure bone mineral content, or bone density. During a DEXA scan, however, soft tissue absorption is subtracted from full-body tissue absorption to estimate a measurement of bone density.

Access to bone density information is crucial in assessing a potential risk of osteoporosis especially in older populations , should a scan indicate lower than average bone mineral content.

A DEXA scan can also measure visceral fat, or the fat around the internal organs. This is particularly important in assessing risk of chronic disease such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer.

Access to this type of information brings even more value to a DEXA scan than just body fat and lean mass measurements — it can be the difference in whether or not to intervene with potentially lifesaving lifestyle behavior changes.

The hydrostatic weighing method comes with a few inconvenient steps — removal of clothing, expelling all air and holding the breath, and complete underwater submergence. During a DEXA scan, any type of clothing can we worn and the subject lays comfortably on a flat-bed device for under 10 minutes.

A full report is generated moments later, without the need for extra calculations that may be impacted by human error. Hydrostatic weighing uses physics-based approach to body composition testing that, while seeped in history and tradition, may lead to less accurate results when compared to imaging-based tests like a DEXA scan.

A DEXA scan also offers more information on bone density, visceral fat and regional body analysis that hydrostatic testing does not provide. To learn more about your own body composition and overall health, schedule a DEXA scan and talk to a Nutrition Coach at a Composition ID location near you.

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Of the other methods already mentioned waist, waist-to-hip ratio, and BMI , none provide estimates of body composition but do provide measurements of other weight-related health markers, such as abdominal fat. Experts have designed several methods to estimate body composition.

While they are not flawless, they do provide a fairly accurate representation of body composition. The most common are:. At one time, hydrostatic weighing also and maybe more accurately called hydrodensitometry was considered the criterion for measuring body composition.

Many other methods are founded on this model, in one form or another. The mass and volume components are measured by using dry weight and then weight while being submerged in a water tank.

Since fat is less dense than muscle tissue, a person with more body fat will weigh less in the water than a similar person with more lean mass. Using the measurements, the density can be determined and converted into body fat percentage.

Unfortunately, the expense and practicality of building and maintaining a water tank limits access for most. Also, for those with a fear of water, this would obviously not be the preferred method.

While underwater weighing accurately compartmentalizes FM and FFM, DEXA adds a third compartment by using low-radiation X-rays to distinguish bone mineral.

This addition slightly increases the accuracy of DEXA by eliminating some of the guess work associated with individual differences, such as total body water and bone mineral density. Originally, DEXA scanners were designed to determine and help diagnose bone density diseases.

However, a full body scan, which takes only a few minutes, is all that is needed to also determine body fat percentage. Major disadvantages to this method are its high cost and the need for a well-trained professional to operate the equipment and analyze the results.

A good alternative to more expensive methods, air displacement determines body density using the same principle as underwater weighing, by measuring mass and volume.

Clearly, the main difference is that mass and volume are being determined by air displacement rather than water displacement. Using a commercial device the Bod Pod is most commonly referenced , a person sits in a chamber that varies the air pressure allowing for body volume to be assessed.

Air displacement provides a viable alternative for those with a fear of water. Like many other methods, the expense, availability, and training of personnel Air Displacement requires limit accessibility. Additionally, its accuracy is slightly less than underwater weighing.

BIA takes a slightly different approach to measuring FFM. The premise behind BIA is that FFM will be proportional to the electrical conductivity of the body. Fat-tissue contains little water, making it a poor conductor of electricity; whereas, lean tissue contains mostly water and electrolytes, making it an excellent conductor.