Body composition lab report discussion

Lab Report Grade Sheet Name____________________________Lab________________________ Area Abstract (10 points) • • • Briefly introduce the lab topic. Explain the purpose of the lab. Summarize the lab methods and conclusion. Methods (10 points) • • List equipment used. Provide step by step description for each technique. Data (20 points) • • • • Show all the numbers and steps in calculations. Include units of measurements. Include any figures (graphs, charts, and or tables) used to organize and record the measurements. Figures are labeled followed by a descriptive caption or title. Discussion Questions (40 points) Answer the discussion questions using clear, illustrative and complete answers. Conclusion (10 points) Summarize the major findings from data. Grammar (10 points) Writing follows rules of grammar. Please include all citations using APA or MLA format. Total (100 points) Comments Lab 3: Measuring Body Composition Introduction: Body composition evaluation is an important part of the overall fitness evaluation. It is well established that excess body fat is harmful to an individual’s health. Body composition refers to the relative percentages of body weight comprised of fat and fat free body tissue. Assessment techniques vary from simple field measurements to elaborate laboratory techniques that require expensive equipment and specially trained technicians. The purpose of this lab is to become familiar with the different forms of assessing body composition by practicing these methods on fellow students. Students will compare the different methods and determine if there is a consistent measure of lean tissue and fat mass. Common methods for body composition assessment include hydrostatic weighing, skinfold measurements, and bioelectrical impedance. For many years hydrostatic weighing was thought to be the definitive method of body composition determination. With emerging technologies, such as the BodPod, hydrostatic weighing is being replaced as the definitive method or gold standard. This change in technology has allowed a better capability of identifying specific tissues of the body. Hydrostatic weighing is quite time consuming and involves a substantial amount of potential subject error. Hydrostatic weighing is based on Archimedes’ principle, which states that when a body is immersed in water, it will be buoyed by a counterforce equal to the weight of the water displaced. Since bone and muscle weigh more in water, an individual with more lean tissue for the same total body weight will weigh more in water. This individual will also have a higher body density and a lower percent fat reading. An individual with more fat tissue for the same total body weight will weigh less in water, thus equaling a lower body density and a higher percent fat reading. Hydrostatic weighing requires an accurate assessment of lung residual volume in order to calculate body density. Small errors in residual volume can result in substantial errors in body fat estimation. Skinfold techniques correlate well with body composition determination from hydrostatic weighing. The principle behind this technique is that the amount of subcutaneous fat is proportional to the total amount of body fat. Various equations have been developed to predict body density from skinfold measurement. Many of these equations are for more specific populations, based upon ethnicity, race, and age. Some more generalized equations do exist, the most popular being the Jackson & Pollock and Jackson, Pollock, and & Ward equations. Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) relies upon the principle that the flow of electricity is facilitated through hydrated fat-free tissue and extracellular water compared to fat tissue. This occurs because of the greater electrolyte and water content of lean tissue. Impedance to the electrical flow is directly related to the level of body fat. This technique is affected by hydration status. An over hydrated individual will underestimate percent body fat and under hydrated person will overestimate percent body fat. BIA is constantly coming into question for its accuracy during assessment protocols. Body Mass Index (BMI) is not an estimate of percent body fat, but a ratio of height to weight.