It is necessary to know the rate of fat mass or body fat before starting a diet, or to make a dry for the practitioners of bodybuilding or fitness.
Knowing your body fat percentage will allow you to set up a diet adapted to the objective set (weight loss, mass gain, weight loss etc). The fat mass is not often mentioned unlike the body mass index which is always analysed by the specialities. But is it necessary to know the fat mass?
This rate should not be high in sportsmen. And how do you calculate this fat mass rate?
What is meant by body fat?
We are talking about a person's body fat, the total amount of fat in their body. This is not the same as the body mass index (bmi) which is a definition of a person's obesity.
There are two kinds of fat in the body. It is possible to remove the first fat but not the second. The second type of fat is the body fat. It is found under the skin and is evenly distributed throughout the body. Women and men have different levels of fat.
Women have a higher fat content because they were made to have children. The fat mass in women helps them to overcome the stages and period of pregnancy.
Otherwise, men's body fat percentage is not high, i. e. about 10-15%, as they are rather muscular and fleshy.
How is the body fat percentage calculated?
The impedance meter scale
The impedance meter scale is the ideal measuring device to measure the fat mass in a body. It is often used by sports coaches to measure the intensity of an electric current as it passes through the body, which can be measured in the feet and hands.
The body can resist the passage of an electric current thanks to the presence of fat, provided that its level is high enough.
The result of the fat mass rate weighed by this scale is not always the same, i. e. it is possible to have different rates at each measurement due to the fact that the hydration rate in the body is invariable during the day.
This is in contrast to a scale that always gives the same weight at any time of the day.
Skinfold pliers
The skinfold forceps or adipose forceps is also a device used to get a reliable result. It is used to calculate the thickness of fat folds in the body.
How to measure with the skinfold forceps
To take the measurement, just pinch the 4 folds including biceps, triceps, subscapular on the scapula and subiliac at the groin with the fat clip.
The figures taken by the adipometer are not precise, but they can be reliable and consistent. Sports progress and body change can be assessed from the IMG
technique.
References are provided with the fat clamp for reference in order to know the rate of fat mass in the body.
Percentages vary by category:
|
Women |
Men |
||
|
Useful body fat Useful fat for the body |
10% to 14% 10% à 14% |
10% to 14% |
2% à 5% |
|
Competitor, athlete |
14% à 20% |
14% to 20% |
6% à 13% |
|
Sports and fitness |
21% à 24% |
21% to 24% |
14% à 17% |
|
Acceptable rate |
25% à 31% |
18% à 24% |
If the result obtained exceeds the rate on the reference, it means that there is overweight or obesity.
This device is mainly used by competitive sportsmen and athletes who do bodybuilding to help them to know the rate of fat mass in their abs and to be able to define their muscles.
Other ways to measure body fat index
There is also a device called bone densitometry or X-ray absorptiometry which is used to measure fat mass, calcium mass and lean mass. Using its ionising radiation, it can help to provide the image inside the body by separating bone from fat
It remains to compare the body texture with the reference to define the rate results. Although it does not give an accurate fat mass ratio result, it can be used as a reference
FAT MASS REFERENCE CHART
The appropriate fat mass ratios for men and women are shown in the table below. They are listed by age and sex and note that this is just a basic reference
|
AGES |
Male |
Female |
|
20-24 |
8 % à 17% |
22% à 29% |
|
25-29 |
11% à 18% |
23% à 30% |
|
35-39 |
12% à 19% |
24% à 31 |
|
40-44 |
13% à 20% |
25% à 32% |
|
40-44 |
14% à 21% |
26% à 33% |
|
45-49 |
15% à 22% |
27% à 34% |
|
50-59 |
17% à 24% |
29% à 36% |
|
60 and over |
19% à 26% |
31% à 38% |
How to reduce body fat?
Strength training and other cardio exercises help to reduce body fat. There are also other ways, such as a diet that is adapted to each individual to lose fatty tissue and that helps to lose weight quickly
For sportsmen and women, the main objective is to gain muscle and lose fat. A special and appropriate diet is used by everyone in order to be able to master and control the diets for fat loss.
It is true that fat mass is useful for producing energy for the body, but it should not be high so as not to hinder progress in muscle building.
