Body fat percentage testing
Our registered dietitian, Stephanie Boville, is in the process of being certified to accurately measure body fat percentage using the skin fold calliper technique (this is the gold standard- no more electrodes, no more guessing)!
As part of completing her program, she will conducting the test on 20 athletes free of charge ($60/ session normally). This will provide a great baseline to see if you are making the gains you are aiming for. If you are interested in learning more about Steph’s weight loss program to complement this, click here.
Call (519)885-4930 or info@drdelanghe.com if you are interested
What is the certification?
It is through the International society for the advancement of kinanthropometry.
This certification has developed standards for practice in the area of measuring body composition and body measurements. This allows practitioners to compare and have equal athlete testing, thus decreasing the differences between different techniques. This course is designed for sport scientists, researchers and nutrition and health professionals to be able to accurately and precisely measure and interoperate body measures and skin folds.
What about my electronic scale?
Many places will have Bioimpedance analysis where you stand on and or hold electrodes and which will then estimate body composition. This works off of how quick the electric current goes through the body from electrode to electrode. As a result, there is a high probability of error. For instance, water content/ hydration status can cause fluctuations in readings. Im addition, these systems back calculate the body fat percent which is riddled with assumptions and error.
Skin fold testing can precisely measure your overall body fat percent and is the gold standard for looking at body fat.
Why is this helpful to know?
Knowing your body fat percentage is a great way to quantitatively determine if your nutrition plan is helping to reduce your body fat as you approach your race season.
This information also help us to determine if you are adequately fed. For instance, if you have gone through a period of severe energy deficit, this information is crucial for guiding good, healthy weight gain. No more guessing if that weight you are gaining is muscle or fat!
However, this it not for everybody! If you are struggling with body image and disordered eating this is not a test for you at this time. We test body composition to make sure you are in a healthy range and do not promote unhealthy restrictive dieting to achieve below average body fat percent. Body fat is necessary for a healthy body!
Call (519)885-4930 or info@drdelanghe.com if you are interested