Manipulation of Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis Estimated Body Fat

BIA Study.

Principal Investigator: Riana Pryor, PhD, ATC

Funding Source: Department of Defense / Advanced Technology International

Abstract: Currently, the military uses body circumference tape measurements to assess the body composition of warfighters. Recent changes to the body composition program have updated body fat standards for females, enabling failed tape tests to be verified using multiple frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (MF-BIA). Research has found severe limitations in the tape test, suggesting that this test should be replaced with MF-BIA. However, an obstacle of MF-BIA is that several factors, such as temperature, water content, and electrolyte concentration in body tissues, can influence electrical current conductivity, thereby altering body composition estimation accuracy. This purpose of this study is to assess the effects of body temperature changes, body water, and electrolyte manipulation on MF-BI) assessment of body fat.