The 3rd and final part of our discussion about the incredible InBody 570 covers 3 more studies that further validate its accuracy. I know blogs that discuss studies aren’t always the most ‘fun’ to read, but it is important to have evidence readily available to show others that your InBody 570 bioelectrical impedance analyzer assessment is vital to your health and should be part of your medical health history. It can be used to help your primary care doctor (PCP) figure out ways to help you…hopefully many times through dietary intervention (like caloric restriction and intermittent fasting) vs. just administering drugs.
The first study to discuss is one by Ling et al. It is titled Accuracy of Direct Segmental Multi-frequency Bioimpedance Analysis in the Assessment of Total Body and Segmental Body Composition in Middle-aged Adult Population and it was published in the journal Clinical Nutrition in 2011. This study set out to compare multi-frequency Bioelectrical Impedance (BIA) to Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) in regards to body modification assessment. The study involved 484 participants (this is a good amount of people to work with). The study found that with whole body lean mass, fat mass, and percentage body fat, the two assessments were very much in agreement. These findings held true for assessing different regions of the body as well. The conclusion of the study was that BIA is a valid tool for the assessment of total body and segmental body composition. And don’t forget, there is no radiation with a BIA assessment like there is with a DEXA test!
The second study to discuss is one from 2012, it is authored by So et. al and it is found in HealthMED…Healthmed is an online peer reviewed journal. The study findings are very valuable. The name of this study was Body Composition Measurements Determined by Air Displacement Plethysmography (BOD POD) and Eight-polar Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis are Equivalent in African American College Students. As the title reads, the BIA was compared to the BOD POD, which many consider, along with DEXA, as a gold standard in body composition assessment. (We note here that BOD POD assessments usually cost around $100.00 each so getting them on a regular basis is not financially feasible for many. The average cost of a BIA assessment is far less…many times less than half of that amount). The conclusion stated ‘We concluded that the data of BOD POD and the data of eight-polar BIA were similar in African American students. These methods are useful for field tests requiring body composition measurements and can be used interchangeably in the field.’
The third and final study is from 2010 and it is authored by Zamrazilova et al. It is titled A New Simple Method for Estimating Trunk and Visceral Fat by Bioelectrical Impedance: Comparison with Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Dual X-ray Absorptiometry in Czech Adolescents. This study gives us the data that with trunk fat assessment that BIA is 98% as accurate as DEXA, which is the gold standard. This makes it clear that BIA is a reliable tool for the assessment of trunk fat in adolescents.
As we can see from the 5 studies that we reviewed over the last two blogs, BIA is on par in regards to accuracy with the BOD POD and DEXA. The InBody 570 is accurate, easy to use, inexpensive, does not expose the patient to any radiation, and gives more data than the other two tests.
It is very important for each of us to have a body composition assessment and to keep tabs on our progress. This data, due to its accuracy, can be added to your medical history that your Primary Care Physician (PCP) maintains. If we want to be as healthy as possible, we should use the results of our body composition assessment to give us motivation to achieve the goal of more muscle mass and less fat. This is important not only for those looking to ‘lose weight’, but for athletes who wish to recover better and have better performance.
