PHED 3

Body Composition Overview

• Definition: Body is made of water, protein, fat, and bone/minerals.

• Woman have more fat so they absorb more vitamin D.

• Nucleus: the brain of the cell.

Importance of Fat

(Adipocyte) fat cells: white, beige, brown.

• Recommended Essential Fat:

  • Men: 3-5%

  • Women: 8-12%

Types of Adipocytes

• White and Beige Adipocytes: Worst, doesn’t have most common a lot of energy storage in people (mitochondria).

• Brown Adipocytes (BAT): Best fat cells have a lot of mitochondria.

Types of Body Fat

• Visceral Fat: is unseen with just eyes and causes chronic illnesses and heart disease.

• Subcutaneous Fat: under the skin fat.

• Too much of vitamin A causes cancer.

• Too much of vitamin D causes heart attack.

Impotence of fat:

• Cashing our soft organs and nerves.

• Part of the cell membrane.

• Keep us warm.

• Energy reserve.

Differences between Fat Types

• Visceral Fat:

  • Linked to obesity, chronic inflammation, and serious health issues like Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

• Subcutaneous Fat:

  • Present on limbs and abdominal muscles, harder to lose but important.

Subcutaneous fat VS visceral fat

Subcutaneous fat:

• Deepest layer of skin.

• Can be found on arm, legs, and on top of the abdominal muscle.

• Stores energy, protect from impact and regulate body temperature

• Difficult, but can be reduced

visceral fat :

• Located on other side of abdominal muscle.

• Collect around abdominal organs.

• Stores energy, and protect from impact.

• Can have flat tummy and visceral fat.

• Too much of it can be problematic.

Why is visceral fat dangerous?

• Causes obesity, chronics inflammation, insulin resistance, dementia, cardiovascular diseases.

When you lose weight, you lose muscle and some bone density because of the testosterone the average man has less food than woman with gaining fat mass increases while borne and muscle mass decreases.

Body Composition Models

• Assessment Models:

  • 2 Compartment Model: Fat and non- fat mass.

  • 3 Compartment Model: Fat, protein , and everything else.

  • 4 Compartment Model: Fat, muscle, bone, and water.

Key Measurement Techniques

1. Hydrodensitometry: Underwater weighing based on fat density differences.

• Fat is less dense than water so it will float.

• People with more fat will weight less in water than people with less fat.

• Pro’s: very accurate to the percentage.

• Con’s: Doesn’t specify where the percentage is in the body, only gives fat percentage.

DEXA (Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry):

• pro’s: shows location of fat, muscle and bone.

• con’s: 2D image, can’t differentiate between visceral and Subcutaneous fat.

  MRI:

  • fat has more electrical resistance than water.

  • Electrical current can go through water easier than fat.

  • Pro’s: 3-D, provides into on fat water, protein, minerals,

  • Con’s: limited access, expensive.

• Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA):

  • Based on body water.

  • over drinking dehydration, sweating causes error measurement.

  • (Big Error)

Body Types and Somatotypes

• Ectomorph: Thin, struggles to gain weight. Fast metabolism.

• Mesomorph: Athletic, easily gains muscle, medium to broad frame.

• Endomorph: Stocky, easy to gain weight, slower metabolism.

Assessing Body Composition Factors

• BMI (Body Mass Index): Not the perfect measure for body fatness as it can misclassify athletes or individuals with muscle mass.

• Understanding muscle health and conditions like sarcopenia is crucial for aging populations.

• Bone Health: Monitor for osteoporosis, diagnosed via DEXA, addressing bone density through nutrition and exercise.

Healthy Body Composition depends on:

1. Exercise: Maintain a balance of strength training and cardiorespiratory endurance.

2. Nutrition: Adequate protein intake, focus on micronutrients like calcium and vitamin D.

3. Hormonal Balance: Essential for maintaining a healthy body composition.

4. Addressing Female Athlete Triad: Ensure optimal energy availability for bone and health needs.

Summary

• Strive for a balanced body composition through a combination of regular exercise, proper nutrition, and awareness of individual body type and genetics. Regular assessments using various models can provide insights into health and fitness levels.