For maximum accuracy and repeatability, it is recommended that the scale’s body fat and total body
water functions be used at approximately the same time of the day, e.g. before breakfast in the morning.
It is also a good practice to avoid swings in hydration level of the body prior to the estimation.
Establishing your own baseline value of %BF and %TBW and tracking their changes is better than merely
comparing your %BF and %TBW value to the population’s “normal” value. The estimates provided are
not substitutes for physician assessments. Consult your physician to determine what body fat
percentage, total body water percentage and daily calorie intake are most ideal for you.
5. What is Muscle Mass?
Our Body Fat Scale estimates the weight of Skeletal Muscle Mass in your body. You have around 650
muscles in your body, and they make up roughly half of your body weight. These muscles can be divided
into three different groups: skeletal, smooth and cardiac. All of these muscles can stretch and contract,
but they perform very different functions.
Skeletal muscle:
Produces movement, maintains posture, stabilizes joints and generates heat
Smooth muscle:
Found in the walls of hollow organs
Cardiac muscle:
Exists only in your heart
Skeletal muscle (SM)
The tissue most commonly thought of as muscle is skeletal muscle. Skeletal muscles cover your skeleton,
giving your body its shape. They are attached to your skeleton by strong, springy tendons or are directly
connected to rough patches of bone. Skeletal muscles are under voluntary control, which means you
consciously control what they do.
Just about all body movement, from walking to nodding your head, is caused by skeletal muscle
contraction. Your skeletal muscles function almost continuously to maintain your posture, making one
tiny adjustment after another to keep your body upright. Skeletal muscle is also important for holding
your bones in the correct position and prevents your joints from dislocating. Some skeletal muscles
in your face are directly attached to your skin. The slightest contraction of one of these muscles changes
your facial expression.
Skeletal muscle generates heat as a by-product of muscle activity. This heat is vital for maintaining your
normal body temperature.
Skeletal muscle represents approximately 30% of body weight of a healthy 127.8 lb woman or 40% of a
154.3 lb man. (International Commission on Radiological Protection, 1975).
6. What is the Cal-Pal™ daily calorie intake estimator?
The Cal-Pal™ function estimates the number of calories required based on your body composition and
user entered personal data. This tool can be used as a guide when setting calorie goals during weight
loss and exercise programs. This estimate shows on the LCD as Kcal (Basal Metabolic Rate).
7. Why is the Athlete Mode necessary in a Body Fat Analyzer?
It has been found that body fat estimation using BIA could overestimate the percentage body fat of
adult elite athletes. The physiological variation of athletes in bone density and level of hydration are two
of the reasons said to account for the difference. The Athlete mode is selectable only for people 18-80
years old.
