Bioimpedance contributes to disease prevention and also to various diagnoses
Whether you’re a high-performance athlete or an amateur, developing and maintaining a healthy, balanced life can be a daunting challenge. Knowing your body composition is one way to structure the changes needed for health. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to bioimpedance, an analysis that can inform the percentage of muscle mass, body fat and other indicators.
Indispensable for planning a training program, bioimpedance offers several uses. The results, when interpreted by doctors, can contribute, for example, to the prevention of cardiovascular disease, as they help in the diagnosis of excess fat.
– The scale at home will offer more frequent access to data on the athlete’s body composition – explained the endocrinologist Paula Rosado. It is completed:
– You will also be able to adjust your food routine more effectively and completely.
The doctor also notes that the data collected by the scale should be brought to the doctor, such as an endocrinologist or nutritionist, during a consultation. In this way, the healthcare professional has access to more information when regulating the athlete’s diet and supplementation.
HOW IS THE ANALYSIS DONE?
Bioimpedance can be performed in two ways: with the use of electric current, within the practice, or with a specific balance. For the second method, Relaxmedic has developed the Digital Bioimpedance Scale and the BodyScan Pro Scale, which allow you to monitor body information on your mobile phone, through a complete report on the mobile application.
Compatible with iPhone and Android, the application offers the following information on your smartphone, collected by the scale via Bluetooth: weight, ideal body weight, level of obesity, body type, body mass index (BMI), body fat, lean mass, skeletal muscle mass, muscle mass, bone mass, subcutaneous fat, visceral fat, muscle rate, fat mass, protein mass, body water, protein, basal metabolic rate (BMR), and metabolic age.
The app also syncs data with other health platforms like Google Fit, Fitbit, Samsung Health, and Apple Health.
The device is simple. To use it, the patient stands on top of the scale and, safely, the electric current passes through the feet and hands. The scale has eight metal electrodes — four on the feet for determining lower limb data and four on the hand bar, which measure the upper body — that pass a double electric current throughout the body to provide more accurate results. .
– When we step on the scale we are weighing muscles, bones, skin, organs, water, fluids and fat. Therefore, not always when the hands or the numbers on the scale indicate that we are losing weight, it means that we have lost body fat. With bioimpedance we can follow the evolution of body composition. In this way we can make a more complete analysis and look for more efficient results on our weight and diet – says Renato Carvalho, partner of Relaxmedic.
Through the analysis it is possible to observe the volume of fat or muscle. With medical guidance, the patient understands whether the parameters are appropriate for age and gender. For athletes, the gain can be even greater, as this data helps to define the exercises that will be performed, with a specific series elaborated by the health professional, based on the needs of the athlete.
It should be noted that it is not necessary to perform the analysis every day to structure a good follow-up history.
– You don’t need to use the scale on a daily basis. But you can use it once a week or every two weeks, for example – explains Dr. Paula Rosado.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS FOR ATHLETES?
Bioimpedance allows you to create a very detailed picture, where you can track fat loss, muscle gain, and even pinpoint regions with the greatest fat mobilization in the body. The results allow the sportsman, whether he is a high-level sportsman or an amateur, to understand, together with the doctor who advises him, if the data obtained conforms to his needs and, in an assertive way, to develop a food and exercise plan.
The digital bio-impedance scale and BodyScan Pro scale have an intelligent system, automatic shut-off and indication of low power and overload weight – with a weight limit of up to 180 kg. By making the data available through a report that fits in the palm of the hand, through the app, the equipment user can view comparison graphs of recent, weekly, monthly or yearly measurements for analysis, printing or sharing with the doctor.
TIPS FOR GREATER ACCURACY IN THE INFORMATION
– Always carry out the measurement in the same period: In the morning, on an empty stomach and barefoot;
– Take the water recommended for your body;
– Make sure your feet and the scale are dry and flush with the metal plates;
– The scale must be on a flat and hard surface, as it is equipped with ultra-sensitive sensors, any irregularities on the surface can interfere with weighing;
– Always clean the hand and foot sensors before use (with a clean, dry cloth). Also check if there may be dirt on the support feet of the scale.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
