Our office offers a non-invasive test to measure:
- Phase Angle (Cell Health)
- Body Fat Percentage
- Intracellular Water (Toxicity Level)
- Body Hydration
To insure accurate testing results please observe the following guidelines:
- No alcohol consumption within 24 hours of test.
- No exercise, caffeine or food within 4 hours of test.
- No diuretic medications within 12 hours of test.
- Consume 4 glasses of water 2 hours before the test.
The phase angle is expressed in degrees of phase shift. One complete cycle of current represents 360 degrees, so a phase shift of 6 degrees represents a shift of 6/360 this of a cycle or 1.67 percent. The phase angle is one of the best indicators of cellular health and function available. It is computed from the resistance and reactance values and is an indicator of the amount of electrical charge the cell membrane can hold. This is dependent on the total cell membrane mass and the efficiency of protein and electrolyte channel functions. Therefore, total charge and phase angle is useful indices of cellular health and function. The larger the phase angle, the better the cellular membrane integrity and, therefore, cell function.
Body Fat Percentage
Body Fat or Fat Mass consists of all the extractable lipids from adipose and other tissues in the body. External or outer adipose tissue is often referred to as subcutaneous fat, and internal or deep adipose tissue is referred to as visceral fat. The Bioimpedance Analyzer provides an estimate of fat mass distribution using equations developed by multiple linear regression analysis. Body Fat is vital to daily body functions. It cushions the joints, protects the organs and helps regulate body temperature. Too much and too little body fat has been associated with serious health risks.
Lean Body Mass (LBM) / Fat Free Mass (FFM)
Lean Body Mass is your body weight excluding all body fat. The lean body mass is the total mass of living cells within the body. LBM consists of muscle, bone, viscera (brain, heart, liver and lung), some smooth muscle, minerals and other nonfat tissue. It contains approximately 73% water, 20% protein, 6% mineral and 1% ash. The cellular components of the body are those involved in energy exchange and those that perform chemical, thermal or mechanical work. They make up the fat free or active tissue mass, which exchanges oxygen, oxidizes glucose, metabolizes energy and is potassium rich. LBM is effectively the body's engine and the main contributor to basal metabolic rate. As most organs and smooth muscles stay relatively unchanged, the major changes that occur in the LBM are increases or losses of skeletal muscle. Muscle represents an important metabolic organ responsible for providing critical nutrition and hormonal regulation of all other major organs. Sufficient loss of LBM muscle from any cause may result in death. Loss of LBM is associated with a reduced quality of life, poor immune response, increased biological age and impaired healing. It generally takes about three times as long to accrete LBM as to deplete it. To build LBM requires removing catabolic factors (stress/anxiety) while providing increased protein calories with an anabolic catalyst and exercise program.
Intracellular Water (Toxicity Level)
Intra-Cellular Water is the potassium-rich portion of Total Body Water that is foundinside metabolically active tissues such as muscle cells. ICW is a sensitive indicator of cellular function. An increase in ICW is associated with anabolic metabolism, or cellularhealth, while a loss of ICW is associated with catabolism. Maintenance of ICW is dependenton cellular membrane integrity, mitochondrial energy levels and the regulation of electrolytes. Electrolytes ineffective at maintaining an osmotic gradient that holds water within the cell are possible causes of reduced ICW. Magnesium is the key mineralresponsible for regulating electrolyte pumping into and out of the cell. Low magnesiumlevels result in sodium accumulation within cells and the failure of potassium to be pumped through the cell membrane, into the cell. For effective cellular function, the cell membrane requires its constituents to be able to move about efficiently. Adequate levels of essential fatty acids ensure membrane fluidity and the efficient passageof nutrients and factors passing into and out of the cell.
Total Body Water or TBW reflects the complete volume of body fluids. Care must be taken to avoid becoming dehydrated during exercise. TBW is dependent on the hydration stateof the individual and body composition. Fatty tissue contains around 10-15% water, whereasmuscle contains a higher water concentration. A person with a high fat free mass typically demonstrates a higher total body water volume. Women tend to have a higher body fatpercentage and, therefore, a lower total body water volume. Edema and inflammation mayresult in elevated total body water and will be represented by a high extracellular water component. Dehydration is common in the general population. This may be due to a lowintake of hydrating fluids or a disturbance in electrolyte balance.