In this post, we’ll unpack all you need to know about Body Composition, defining exactly what it is, the most common and accurate way to measure it, how to change it and more.
What Is Body Composition?
Body Composition is a type of measurement that is used to determine what percentage of your total body weight is derived from fat, muscle, bone and water.
How To Measure Body Composition?
The most common and accurate way of measuring Body Composition is using a Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) scan.
DEXA uses x-ray technology to provide a detailed assessment of how much fat mass and muscle mass is contained in the body and exactly where the fat and muscle is stored.
How To Change Your Body Composition
When it comes to changing your Body Composition, calories are king. Manipulating your calorie intake is the key to either losing, maintaining or gaining weight. It also takes more work to build the body you want than to maintain it.
If your goal is to gain muscle, you need to be in a calorie surplus. This means you need to consume more calories than you are expending ― known as bulking. As a general rule, 25% of calories should come from protein, 55% of calories should come from carbohydrates and 20% of calories should come from fats. Men should aim for 0.25–0.5kg of weight gain per week. Women should aim for 0.125-0.25kg of weight gain per week.
If your goal is to maintain weight, you need to consume roughly the same number of calories as you are expending ― knowing as maintaining. As a general rule, 30% of calories should come from protein, 45% of calories should come from carbohydrates and 25% of calories should come from fats.
If your goal is to lose fat, you need to be in a calorie deficit. This means you need to consume less calories than you are expending ― known as cutting. As a general rule, 40% of calories should come from protein, 40% of calories should come from carbohydrates and 20% of calories should come from fats.
Summary
Body Composition refers to the amount of fat, muscle, bone and water is present in the body.
The key to changing your body composition ultimately comes down to calories. To increase muscle, calorie intake must be more than calorie expenditure. In order to maintain weight, calorie intake must be roughly equal to calorie expenditure. To lose fat, calorie intake must be less than calorie expenditure.
