nieman ch 4 body comp

Resting Measurements and Body Composition

Test Order

• Resting measurements (HR, BP, Height, and weight)

• Body Composition

• Cardiorespiratory Endurance

• Muscular Fitness

• Flexibilty

Exercise Testing and Prescription: A Health-Related Approach by Nieman. McGraw-Hill, 2010©.

Resting Blood Pressure

• Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of the arteries and veins created by the heart as it pumps blood to every part of the body.

• Hypertension is a condition in which the blood pressure is chronically elevated above optimal levels (see Tables 3.1 and 3.2).– Diastolic BP of ≥90 mm Hg or systolic BP of ≥140

mm Hg on at least two occasions.


Heart Rate

• The RHR can be obtained through auscultation (stethoscope bell), palpation (feeling with fingertips), or ECG recordings.

• With palpation, use the radial artery at rest, and the carotid artery during exercise.

• The RHR fluctuates widely; measure upon awakening three mornings in a row, and average.


Chapter 4

Body Composition


Rationale for measuring body composition

• To assess the decrease in body fat weight that occurs in response to a weight management program.

• To help athletes determine the best body composition for performance.

• To monitor fat and fat-free weight in patients with disease.

• Over fat and fat distribution is related to increased morbidity, CHD, hypertension, stroke, etc.

• To track long-term changes that occur in body fat and fat-free mass with aging.


Body Composition = ratio of fat to fat-free mass (see definitions, Table 4.1). Figure 4.1a compares 2- and 4-compartment models. Figure 4.1b shows reference

proportions for 4-compartment model.

Methodologies In Body Composition Assessment

• Height, Body Weight, BMI• Waist and hip circumferences • Hydrodensitometry (underwater) weighing• Skinfold assessment • Bioelectrical Impedance • Near-infrared interactance • Air displacement (Plethysmography)• CT scans, MRI scans• Isotopic dilution • Dual energy xray absorptiometry (DEXA)


The Brozek (4.57/body density – 4.142) and Siri (4.95/body density – 4.50) equations estimate percent body fat from body density. Fat

free mass varies among different groups, and Table 4.2 summarizes recommended equations.

Weight measurement alone cannot accurately determine body fat status (see Figure 4.2). People vary widely in somatype (or

body build) (see Figure 4.3).

The 1983 Metropolitan Height-Weight Table, and other weight tables, have multiple deficiencies (see Tables 4.3,4.5)

and are no longer recommended.


Measuring Weight and Height (see growth charts, Figures 4.5 to 4.9).

• Body weight should be measured on a physician’s balance-beam scale with minimal clothing and no shoes.

• Height should be measured with a stadiometer:– No shoes, heels together, back

straight, heels, buttocks, shoulders, and head touching the wall, standing as tall as possible, and looking straight ahead.

– Have individual inhale deeply and hold breath.


Body mass index (BMI) is a commonly used estimate

of obesity (especially in population studies and surveys). The Quetelet

Index is the most popular BMI estimate: kg/m2

1 pound=2.2 kg1 inch=0.0254 meters

Ibs/inches^2 X703

BMI

• Used to assess individual’s mass relative to height.

• Used to determine risk of developing type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and CVD.

• Relatively poor predictor of body fat percentage.


The most widely used body composition estimate is the skinfold measurement technique. When performed

correctly, skinfold measures provide an fairly good estimate of percent body fat (r≥0.80 with underwater weighing). The goal is to measure a double fold of skin and subcutaneous tissue (with sides of skinfold approximately parallel) (Fig.

4.15). The thicker the fat layer, the wider the fold (Fig. 4.16).


Basic Rules for Taking Skinfolds

• Take skinfold measurements on the right side of the body (most skinfold equations were developed from measurements on the right side).

• Do not take measurements when the subject's skin is moist (ensure that the skin is dry, and has no lotion). Also do not take measurements immediately after exercise or when the person being measured is overheated because the shift of body fluid to the skin will inflate normal skinfold size.

• To reduce error during the learning phase, skinfold sites should be precisely determined, marked, and verified by a trained instructor. The largest source of error in skinfold testing is inaccurate site selection.


Skinfold Rules (continued)• Firmly grasp the skinfold with the thumb and index finger of the

left hand, and pull away. • Hold the caliper in the right hand, perpendicular to the skinfold

and with the skinfold dial facing up and easily readable. Place the caliper heads 1cm away from the fingers holding the skinfold. Try to visualize where a true double-fold of skin thickness is, and place the caliper heads there.

• Read the caliper dial to the nearest 1 millimeter within 2-3 seconds. During the measurement, ensure that the left thumb and forefinger maintains the shape of the skinfold.

• Take a minimum of 2 measurements at each site, and retest if duplicate measurements are not within 1-2mm.

• It is important to rotate through the measurement sites as opposed to taking 2 or 3 measurements sequentially from the same site


Thigh Skinfold (see Figures 4.20 and 4.21)

Vertical fold on anterior thigh, midway between

inguinal crease and proximal border of patella.


Suprailiac Skinfold (Fig. 4.23, 24)

Diagonal fold just above iliac crest at

the midaxillary line.

(In the Jackson-Pollock procedure, a diagonal fold is

taken with the natural angle of the iliac crest at the anterior

axillary line immediately superior to the iliac crest).


Chest Skinfold (Fig. 4.18)

Diagonal fold, between anterior axillary fold and nipple, taken one inch from anterior axillary fold.

(In the Jackson-Pollock procedure, the chest/pectoral skinfold site is one half the distance between the anterior axillary line and the

nipple for men, and one third of this distance for women).


Triceps Skinfold (Fig. 4.22)

Vertical fold on posterior aspect of arm, midway between lateral projection of acromion process and inferior margin

of olecranon process.


Abdomen Skinfold Site (Fig. 4.19)

Horizontal fold, one inch to the right side of and ½ inch below the navel.

The Jackson-Pollock procedure uses a vertical fold 2 cm to the right of the umbilicus.

View figure 17.1 in ACSM Manual for vertical fold


Subscapular Skinfold (Fig. 4.26)

Diagonal fold just below the inferior angle of scapula.


Midaxillary Skinfold (Fig. 4.25)

Horizontal fold taken on midaxillary line at level

of xiphoid process of the sternum.

In the Jackson-Pollock procedure, a vertical fold is used at this site.


Medial Calf (Fig. 4.27)

A vertical skinfold on the inside of the calf at the level of maximum

circumference.


Table 4.12 Body Fat Ranges for Ages 18 and Older

Classification Male Female

Unhealthy range (too low) ≤ 5% ≤ 8%

Acceptable range (lower end) 6-15% 9-23%

Acceptable range (higher end) 16-24% 24-31%

Unhealthy range (too high) ≥25% ≥32%


Table 4.12 Average Body Fat Ranges for Elite Athletes

Males Females

Endurance Athletes 4-15% 12-26%

Athletes in Sports that

Emphasize Leanness 4-10% 10-19%

Team/Dual Sport Athletes 7-21% 18-27%

Power Athletes 5-20% 17-30%


BIA: See Table 4.14. Leg-to-Leg BIA (Fig. 4.38)


Figure 4.40The ratio of waist-to-hip

circumference (WHR) has been used to determine android vs. gynoid type of obesity. The waist circumference is the

smallest circumference below the rib cage and above the

umbilicus. The hip circumference is the largest

circumference of the buttocks-hip area. The waist

circumference alone is more commonly used than the WHR.


Underwater weighing: Figures 4.33, 4.34, 4.35, 4.36, Table 4.13.

nieman ch 4 body comp

Documents

anterior axillary

body composition

body weight

hip circumference

free mass

midaxillary

vertical fold

iliac crest