When taking care of your health, staying healthy, eating nutritious foods, and exercising regularly are extremely important. However, you may want to know what exactly is working and how you can measure your progress. If you’re trying to lose weight, gain muscle, or generally become a healthier version of yourself, tracking your body composition with QardioBase X can help you monitor key metrics to help you reach your health goals.
What is body composition, and why should you measure it?
Body composition refers to the percentage of different tissues in your body, such as fat, bone, and muscle. The composition of each tissue has an optimal value range; keeping within these ranges will help reduce your overall risk of disease, such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.
Globally, obesity is a significant health concern. In 2017 – March 2020, according to the CDC, the US obesity prevalence was 41.9%, and medical costs for adults with obesity are estimated to be over $1500 higher than for adults with a healthy weight. Understanding your body composition will give you a greater insight into your body and help you focus on the areas you may need to work on to become healthier. Read what doctors and specialists say about the adverse effects of being overweight here.
What does QardioBase X measure?
QardioBase X is the next-generation smart scale. It includes 12 body composition metrics, such as; body fat, bone, and muscle composition, water composition, metabolic age, BMR (Basal metabolic rate), subcutaneous fat, visceral fat, skeletal muscle, protein, fat-free body weight, and BMI. Understanding your body composition has never been easier.
Muscle Mass
Muscle mass accounts for every muscle in your body- skeletal, smooth, and cardiac. A healthy muscle percentage ranges from around 70 – 90%; therefore, body fat percentage should range from 10-30%.
Bone Mass
Bone mass depends on both bone size and density. Bone density relates to the amount of minerals found in bone tissue, with the main minerals being; calcium and phosphorus. A low bone density could lead to diseases such as osteoporosis.
Body Water Composition
This refers to the amount of water in your body. Stored in your brain, heart, lungs, skin, muscles, and bones, water is essential for the body to function. On average, water makes up around 60% of men’s bodies and around 55% of women’s bodies (women require a higher percentage of body fat). The amount of water in your body can vary depending on different factors, including your gender, age, or weight. It is fundamentally vital to almost every biological process.
Metabolic Age and Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
This measurement provides insight into a person’s overall health and fitness by calculating the number of calories you would burn at rest over a 24 hr period. The calculation considers body composition, waist circumference, and resting blood pressure. The average BMR in the United States is 1,493 calories for women and 1,662 for men. Although, the expected BMR varies depending on factors such as age, height, and gender.
Subcutaneous and Visceral Fat
Subcutaneous fat is typically 90% of the body fat, and the remaining 10% is visceral fat. The difference between the two is that; subcutaneous fat lies right beneath your skin, and visceral fat lies deep within the abdomen to protect your vital organs. High visceral fat % is particularly dangerous, as it can lead to heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and increased stroke risk. Understanding your visceral fat % with QardioBase X allows you to monitor your visceral fat levels to help reduce your risk of heart disease. Lifestyle choices such as diet and physical exercise influence the amount of subcutaneous and visceral fat. Depending on one’s gender, these fats may distribute to other areas.
Skeletal Muscle
Skeletal muscles make up 30-40% of your total body mass. These muscles play a crucial role in a wide range of physical and metabolic processes. They connect to your bones and are vital for mobility, balance, and strength. It is important to note that if you have more muscle mass in your body, the more calories you will burn at rest. If you are exercising to intentionally strengthen and grow your muscles, using QardioBase X to identify your skeletal muscle % is helpful to see how much progress you are making.
Protein Mass
Protein is essential for proper body function. A lack of protein can lead to increased body fat. Ideally, protein should make up 10 – 20% of your total daily calories. Understanding your protein mass with QardioBase X provides an additional metric for monitoring your health and progressing on your journey.
Fat-Free body weight
Fat-free body weight, as the name suggests, refers to every other component of your body with the exclusion of fat. It is vital to manage a balanced ratio between fat-free and fat mass. While too much fat can have a negative impact on health, having too little can also have a negative effect. As some fat can provide benefits such as the protection of organs and insulation, it is important to have a healthy level of fats in your body. The level typically ranges from 20-35% in women and 10 – 25% in men.
Body Mass Index (BMI)
This takes your weight, height, age, and gender to give an overview of which weight range you are categorized in, from being underweight to obese. This tool assists care professionals in determining whether any risks can be associated with your BMI.
BMI ranges (in kg/m2) from:
* Underweight: Less than 18.5.
* Optimum range: 18.5 to 24.9.
* Overweight: 25 to 29.9.
* Class I obesity: 30 to 34.9.
* Class II obesity: 35 to 39.9.
* Class III obesity: More than 40.
Being underweight may lead to conditions such as; anemia, osteoporosis, infertility, and a weakened immune system. At the same time, a higher BMI might leave you at risk for cardiovascular diseases.
It is important to note that this does not consider body composition. These health conditions can be developed without having a high BMI; additionally, it is possible to have a high BMI and not develop these conditions.
In addition to body composition metrics, QardioBase X can be used for up to 8 users, has a rechargeable battery, has both a pregnancy and athlete mode and all your measurements sync with the free Qardio app to monitor progress and to keep yourself accountable. We give you the scale and data you need to make your weight management goals a reality.
Sources
CDC
Healthline – Body Water Percentage
Healthline – Metabolic Age
Harvard Health Publishing
Cleveland Clinic
Marsden Weighing