Muscle-Fat Ratio
Stepping on the scales to check your weight is highly overrated. To find out healthy body composition, you need to consider your ratio of body fat in proportion to muscle.
Naturally most of us measure our weight with scales. Insurance companies and health professionals have used the height versus weight scales (body mass indicators, or BMIs) for years to determine general health. However, this does not indicate wether you have the right muscle/fat ratio, hence these methods are not reliable in determining a persons health!
Scales can’t tell the difference between muscle and fat. You will obtain a fairly accurate measurement of your weight, but you don’t know how much is lean mass and how much is fat. Lean mass is simply your muscles, bones, connective tissue and organs. The rest falls into the fat category. You do need a percentage of fat to function properly, but that is made up of only about three per cent of your total body weight.
Studies show that, in terms of overall weight, most college-level football players are considered overweight and are more at risk to general health problems. In actual fact, this is not true. The athletes are mostly in excellent physical health but have a bigger percentage of lean muscle mass.
Proportions Matter
Whilst trying to determine your overall health, it’s important to consider your percentage of body fat in proportion to muscle mass. For example, if you weigh 200 pounds with a body fat percentage of 25 you are carrying around 50 pounds of extra fat. Whereas if you weigh 200 pounds with 10 per cent body fat you would only be carrying 20 pounds of fat. This is pretty significant in terms of your health, In addition, the person with 50 pounds of fat has only 150 pounds of lean mass to carry that weight, whereas the person with 20 pounds of fat has 180 pounds of lean mass to sustain it. That factor by itself will have a dramatic impact on energy levels, joint stress and mobility.
Thinner does not necessarily mean healthier, either. Very thin people often have a lower than ideal lean mass percentage. When we don’t eat enough calories, not only do we lose a percentage of our fat, we also use up a percentage of lean mass. Starvation studies have shown the same percentage of body fat after weeks of starvation. In addition, our metabolic rate lessens as we reduce our percentage of lean mass. Our bodies need far more energy to move lean mass than to move fat. Don’t forget, fatty tissue is a source of energy and doesn’t require energy to move. But if we have a larger proportion of muscle mass, it is not only easier to move, but we also need more energy to move it. That’s why exercise is very important in keeping a healthy body type. Exercise and movement promotes the utilization of calories as well as the growth of lean muscle mass.
Measuring Up
Interestingly, fat takes up more than four times as much room as lean muscle mass. So if you would like to reduce your size, then cut your ratio of body fat. An obvious indication is your waist measurement. If your trousers are becoming loose but your weight is not changing too much, you know you are going in the right direction.
Another good way to find out how much body fat you have is by taking measurements. Very easy to do, cost effective and can be easily monitored. Use a tape measure and record your neck size, chest (just across the nipple line), upper arms around the biceps/triceps region, waist (just below the rib cage, slightly above the navel), thighs and calves. Where applicable, measure both sides of your body and, if possible, measure at the same time of the day. Do this regularly once a week to check your results.
If you want a professional opinion, have a skin fold measurement carried out. Skin fold measurements are taken by a skin fold caliper in different areas of the body. The caliper produces an accurate measure of the percentage of body fat by measuring the layer of subcutaneous fat (just below the skin).
What Would Your Ideal Body Fat Percentage Be?
Don’t forget, body mass index (height-weight) calculators can incorrectly suggest fatness in athletic or muscular people. Bearing this in mind, there is a standard ideal percentage of body fat, which is different between men and women. Use the tests above to better find out your proportion of muscle to fat.
The standard ideal percentage range of fat for males is 10 to 20 percent. Twenty to 25 percent is moderately high, 25 to 30 percent is high and 30 percent and above is considered obese. Females generally need a body fat measurement five to 10 percent higher than males. The ideal range for females is 15 to 25 percent. Twenty-five to 30 percent is moderately high, 30 to 35 percent is very high and above 35 percent is considered obese. Values exceeding 20 percent in males and 25 percent in females may lead to an increase in health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.
By finding out your percentage of body fat ratio to lean muscle mass, you will be in a better position to understand what you need to do to be fitter and healthier.
Don’t get caught in the weight trap, but just use it as a guide in your journey to good health . If you have a high percentage of fat, your overall weight will lessen with a good balanced diet and exercise, but remember that those working muscles need fuel to increase mass. If you are wanting to lose that extra 10 pounds, don’t get too caught up in how much you weigh, but consider your measurements, how you feel and how your clothes fit. The mirror can be a good indicator of how much good and bad weight we are carrying. Remember, it is not how much you weigh, but rather what makes up the weight that counts.
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