Tanita body fat scale users?

[tv_vt]

Anybody using one of these? Was reading "Racing Weight" and author recommended using one. Can see the reasoning that weight alone is not a good indicator of body composition, fitness, etc.

Here's a link to one that I'm seeing advertised lately:
http://www.thecompetitiveedge.com/bc-350/

Thanks,

Thom

[dnades]

My wife has one of these. I stay pretty steady at 14 percent and she in the high twenties. Does it work? No idea. It has a memory function based on the person's weight so I cannot tell if it actually measures body fat every time or if it just pulls it from memory and displays it. If you are dehydrated it won't give you an accurate reading is about the only thing we've noticed with it.

I'd be interested in your experience with it.

I just followed your link. That machine is ours on super steroids. Ours is just weight and body fat.

[Shoeman]

Never been able to figure it out but then again I just learned how to record on the VCR.

[rugbysecondrow]

Anybody using one of these? Was reading "Racing Weight" and author recommended using one. Can see the reasoning that weight alone is not a good indicator of body composition, fitness, etc.

Here's a link to one that I'm seeing advertised lately:
http://www.thecompetitiveedge.com/bc-350/

Thanks,

Thom

I don't think weight is a good indication of fitness, but I don't think body fat is either. I guess I wouldn't know what to do with this information if I were to use it regularly. I have used the scale a few times, but it is hard to tell if it is accurate or not. As for fitness, if I am faster, lifting more, pulling more reps etc, then I can gauge my fitness, something the scale doesn't do.

Lastly, I am not a data geek, but some people are. I have a buddy who will upload garmin data after every ride, track it, analyze it and he enjoys it. I don't and never will, just not how I roll and I will just forget. I am also not the type to keep track of how many miles I rode...just no freaking clue. If you are a data guy, maybe you can find it to be a useful tool.

[BlackTiBob]

I used one and then did the "gold standard" weigh and dunk in the water tank test. The true body fat was about 20% less than with the scale, if scale said 20%, dunk test said 16%.
Just my experience.
The scale would give a rough estimate and help track if you are staying same body fat, improving, etc.

[fiamme red]

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/measuring-body-composition-part-2.html

BIA is another popular method for measuring body composition; much of this has to do with it being fairly easy to measure. Unlike calipers, it doesn’t require training and since it’s high-tech (looking anyhow), people tend to put a lot of stock in the results.

Gyms will often use BIA methods, they can be found at all kinds of health fairs and, as I mentioned on Wednesday, there are now scales (such as the Tanita) that use BIA to give body fat estimates. BIA is used in some research studies as well. Basically, BIA is quick and easy.

But is it accurate?

Yes and no. If strict hydration protocols are adhered to, BIA is actually reasonably accurate. The problem I see is that, in the real world, these protocols aren’t followed and this will throw off the measurements completely. To understand why, I should probably actually explain how BIA is done and what it’s measuring.

A typical BIA machine will have an operator attach one electrode to the back of your hand and one to your foot, there are also hand-held models where you just hold onto two handles, the scales obviously run through your feet. Usually some data is entered such as age, height and weight (some will let you choose from athlete or non-athlete and give different results depending on which you pick) and then the machine runs a current from one electrode to the other (no, it doesn’t hurt).

BIA works by estimating total body water. Now, water is conductive, that is electricity can move through it (if there are minerals present) and different tissues such as bone, muscle and fat all contain different amounts of water. So by measuring how fast the current moves from one electrode to the other, BIA machines can estimate how much water is present in the body and use that to determine how much fat, muscle, etc. you have. Or at least that’s what it is trying to do.

And that brings in the problem I mentioned above: hydration state can throw off BIA tremendously. Both dehydration (as might occur when carbohydrates are lowered) or hyper-hydration can throw off BIA completely. Even a large urination or a big glass of water can throw off a BIA measurement by a few percentage points.

So unless you’re following those strict hydration protocols, BIA can be terribly misleading. If you’re slightly differently hydrated from the last measurement you took, what looks like an actual change in body fat percentage may actually just be a difference in water balance.

Now, in BIA’s defense, assuming someone kept their hydration state constant (i.e. measuring themselves every Monday after urinating but before breakfast), BIA may give at least comparative measurements. Just make sure you always measure under consistent conditions.

[Louis]

I've had a Tanita for a pretty long time (I'd guess about 7 or 8 years, I'd have to look at my log to be sure) and have found it to be a useful tool for tracking general trends. As was mentioned above it can be affected by a number of variables other than % body fat (in my experience the biggie is well hydrated you are). I always weigh/fat-o-meter myself at the same time of day, right before bed, and record the number once a week. On the day that I do record (typically Monday, because I rarely ride then) I make it a point to stay well hydrated, if only because the more dehydrated I am the larger the % fat.

I'm general I'm quite happy with mine and it provides good feedback, especially on trends, as long as you understand its limitations. If you're interested in this sort of data I'd recommend buying one.

Louis

[onekgguy]

I've had one for nearly 10 years and like it a lot. I just purchased another that evaluates your body segmentally through the use of sensors not only under your feet but also in your hands; the BC-558. (http://www.thecompetitiveedge.com/shop/item/123-productId.184549503_123-catId.176160808.html)

It's probably overkill but I got it as a gift for my wife. Yeah, I know what you're thinking...why don't I get something for her for the garage too? She uses the other daily so I figure I'm good.

Kevin g

[crownjewelwl]

I used a Tanita scale for many years. I think the scales are precise i.e., repeatable but not necessarily accurate. So I'm not sure if the starting point is right, but I think it does let you track changes in your composition.

I'm back to an old-fashioned bathroom scale and the pinch test now.

[rice rocket]

I used a Tanita scale for many years. I think the scales are precise i.e., repeatable but not necessarily accurate. So I'm not sure if the starting point is right, but I think it does let you track changes in your composition.

I'm back to an old-fashioned bathroom scale and the pinch test now.
Yep, this is what I find as well.

I think it's useful information, it's a good indicator of trends.

That said, their $300 scale doesn't do any more than their $50 one. It's the same test, except they extrapolate more numbers out of it.

[happycampyer]

Also agree with crownjewelwl. Fwiw, a few years back I also got one of the Omron analyzers and, even when it and that Tanita scale are set to "athlete" settings, etc., the body fat percentages are different (the Omron is always higher). The interesting thing about the Omron is that it gives a different reading if ones arms are extended vs. down. So, like the Tanita, the key to getting repeatable results is to try to keep the conditions consistent (time of day, hydration, etc.).

[rickbb]

I've had one for about 10 years, too.
Agree with the above. Very useful for general trends but nothing to react to day-to-day or even week-to-week.

[forrestw]

Yep, this is what I find as well.

I think it's useful information, it's a good indicator of trends.

That said, their $300 scale doesn't do any more than their $50 one. It's the same test, except they extrapolate more numbers out of it.

My experience says while it may or may not be significant or 'worth' the difference, there is a measurable difference between their low and high end scales. My SO has one of the less expensive models, probably in the $60 price range, I've got an 'innerscan' purchased 4 years ago, I forget the exact price but in the $150 range. The cheap scale's weight measurement wanders by nearly a half lb test to test, the more expensive is consistent to .1 lb (I haven't calibrated it to verify absolute accuracy)

They also sell professional and research units in the $5000 range, I have no idea how accurate or consistent these are, however a friend who does research in childhood obesity recently did work comparing Tanita research scale measurements against DEXA. He said they don't correlate well but I don't know his definition of 'well' and he hasn't published anything on the subject.

All that said, I find it's a useful and within certain bounds, repeatable tool for tracking body composition, it's also helpful that the pricier models give hydration numbers (again, no idea about absolute accuracy but clearly good for evaluating trends and I've found it correlates well with pre/post workout measurements of water loss).