Body fat % scales-any good?

[Driller]

Question for the fanatics out there, do these scales actually work? I was thinking along the lines of this

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tanita-BC543-Composition-...

Are they accurate?

[Pvapour]

not had any personal experience with them, but even if its not accurate at the exact composition numbers, it may be accurate at tracking your progress / losses of fat which maybe as useful. thanks for post. might have a punt as scales are useless for my composition.

[FunkyNige]

I've got a cheap one (about £15 I think), I'm skinny and it gives a low number so I guess it's in the right ball park! As has been said, even if it's 5% out it's still going to go up and down as the fat goes up and down.

[Driller]

Makes sense about using for comparison, still very handy. I'll see how it goes with this machine and post up if it's any good.

It looks as though you can choose "athletic" for body type so maybe this will mean it's more accurate.

[EarlOfHazard]

they are ok, but make sure you measure yourself at a consistent time of day ie I weigh myself in the morning after getting out of bed and going to the toilet. This is because they work by sending an electric signal in one foot and it measures how long the signal to go through you. Fat holds water, so a full bladder can dramatically affect the results

[number2]

I think you mean, Muscle holds water!

[balders118]

As posted before... they can be innacurate, but are generally consistantly innacurate.. so tracking progress will work

In terms of time of day etc they, the method they work on is called bioelectrical impedence. This works on the priciple that electicity travels fast through FFM and water, and slowly through Fat. So, if you are dehydrated it will skew the results and say you have more Fat mass than you actually do, due to your body having less stored water than it expects.

Proper bioelectrical impedence machines invlolve four electrodes, 2 on the foot, 2 on the hand.. these are considerbly more expensive but are more accuarte and still suffer from the same problems as the cheap ones.

In summary, yes it's a good tool for tracking progress when used well, but i it tells you you are 5% lean mean wrecking machine it might be fibbing slighty. Likewise if it says you are a 50% heffer it might be fibbing.

Rough guides to go by...
Men
<10% is very lean
10-20% is good
20-30% not bad, maybe a bit of work needed
>30% get on a treadmill and start running!

For girls add 10% onto the figures (roughly)

ETA: I don't think needing a wee will effect the results, dehydration however does.

Edited by balders118 on Saturday 5th March 16:41

[Glade]

I'm on a nutrition course where we get measured every week.

My overall weight loss is conisistent over the last 6 weeks.

My fat:muscle:hydration %s vary by a few % points each week... I'm not sure if this is 'normal variation' or of there is some repeatability error in the readings.

It's interesteing to multiply out your overall mass and fat/muscle percentages to see... "I've lost 2lbs overall, but have lost 3lbs of fat and gained 1lb of muscle" etc...

Because the percentages are linked... if you have more mass as hydration you must either have less as fat or muscle the result does seem to be easily effected by hydration.