ASSESSMENT OF BODY COMPOSITION TECHNIQUES: A REVIEW OF LABORATORY AND FIELD METHODS

Abstract

Body composition is the total components of which the body is made up. The body is made up of both fat and fat–free components. While the fat component is simply referred to as fat mass, the fat-free component termed lean body mass, includes bones, organs, tendons, muscle and others. While appropriate concentration of body fat is required for optimum health and maintenance of life, excessive accumulation of fat is associated with poor public health conditions, resulting in chronic, life threatening diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, stroke and cancer of various kinds. Body fat reduces health related physical fitness and lowers the ability to perform activities requiring sustained effort. In order to maintain appropriate concentration of body fat, periodic assessment of body composition is inevitable. Therefore, this paper discusses the commonly used laboratory and field based techniques of body composition assessments, including hydrodensitometry, bioelectrical impedance analysis, dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, body mass index, skinfolds and body circumference measurements. Although, laboratory methods are more reliable, accurate and in some cases easier to carry out than field based tests, however, laboratory equipment are expensive and unavailable to most researchers. Also discussed in this paper are merits and demerits, benefits and procedural precautions of major body composition assessment techniques.