There are many body composition devices, ranging from cheap and grossly inaccurate consumer gadgets to expensive sophisticated laboratory body composition assessments. At Ageless Forever we are pleased to offer body composition analysis with InBody 770, which is a research grade body composition analyzer.

InBody 770 is a relatively new standing direct segmental multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance (BIA) system with eight-polar electrodes.[20] Unlike conventional BIA equipment, which often takes only partial measurements and therefore relies upon formulas to estimate whole body composition, this technique is based on envisioning the human body as composed of five interconnecting cylinders and takes direct impedance measurements from the various body segments. Of all the BIA devices developed over the years, this eight-polar segmental multi-frequency BIA system is superior in the assessment of body composition.[16]

While BIA as a general technique for body composition assessment has been criticized for its inaccuracy of analyzing muscle mass.[21] However, this inaccuracy was for another BIA system using only 50 kHz single-frequency.[22]

All BIA devices use at least one electric current set at a specific frequency to measure body composition.  In the past, this frequency was traditionally set at 50 kHz.  Some devices today continue to use this single frequency.

However, beginning the early 1990s, research began to accumulate suggesting that single frequency devices set at 50 kHz did not accurately predict changes in total body water, and that the use of multiple frequencies – multiple currents set at a different frequencies – was a superior method in terms of accuracy. InBody 770 uses multiple frequencies of up to 1000 kHz, and has been shown to have excellent agreement with DEXA (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry) – the laboratory reference standard, for the estimation of lean body mass in both men and women in a large general middle-aged population.[23] The accuracy of multi-frequency BIA applies even in overhydrated people (such as dialysis patients), in whom it was found high correlation with DEXA measured lean body mass.[24] In addition, a recent study found that values for body fat and lean body mass in body segments and the total body as analyzed by standing segmental multi-frequency BIA are highly correlated with the DEXA values, even in male wrestlers.[25]

DEXA is the laboratory reference standard against which other body composition techniques are evaluated.[26] Because DEXA is primarily available at hospitals and imaging centers, where it is used to measure bone mineral density and diagnose osteopenia and osteoporosis, other body composition analyzers have been developed that are more easily available and more affordable to the general public.

As outlined above, the new standing segmental multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance (BIA) system with eight-polar electrodes has been validated against DEXA and shown good agreement with DEXA-derives values for body fat and lean mass.

A potential drawback with DEXA is that it is a source of a small level of radiation. Even though the radiation dose from a DEXA scan is very small, it has been suggested that people should not do more than 4 DEXA scans per year. BIA, which sends completely harmless electric currents through the body, is totally free of radiation.

 

 

A similar BIA device to InBody 770 is Tanita MC-980, which is also a segmental multi-frequency with 8 electrodes. Which is most accurate?

A newly published study compared InBody 770 and Tanita MC-980 head-to-head, and how well their body composition values agreed with values derived from the DEXA reference method. It was found that InBody 700 is more accurate than Tanita MC-980.[27]

The InBody 770 goes beyond traditional body composition analysis and takes a deeper look into body water. InBody 770 off­ers two types of results sheets: body composition and body water.

InBody 770 is the new ultimate system in health and fitness monitoring.