Clinical Assessment of Body Composition and Cellular Health includes:
Fat Mass vs Lean Body Mass- This enables accurate monitoring of fat loss and muscle gain protocols
Intracellular water vs Extracellular water- This assesses processes that interfere with normal cellular function such as inflammation, toxicity, nutritional deficiencies or dehydration
Phase Angle- Indicator of cellular health and integrity- A normal distribution of tissue and fluid in the body is associated with better immunity and longevity.
Cellular Age-The Biomarker index is an estimate of the biological age based on biomarkers of ageing (fat mass, ATM, Waist and Phase Angle).
Lean muscle is very important as we age and is vital for optimum health: Active Tissue Mass (ATM), or Lean Muscle mass performs the following functions:
1) Glucose disposal- 80% of circulating glucose is stored in muscle as glycogen.
2) Major source of protein for antibody production necessary for a healthy immune system.
3) Reservoir for Glutamine needed for tissue repair.
4) Determines metabolic rate.
While BIA measures total Fat stores it does not measure Fat distribution. As part of the BIA assessment height, weight, wrist and waist measurement is recorded. Waist measurement gives an indication of visceral fat and whether Metabolic syndrome or insulin resistance is a problem. For people with a high Visceral Adipose Tissue it is strongly associated with high Cardiovascular Risk and Type 2 Diabetes. With a low Glycemic Index diet, Insulin Sensitising nutrients and lifestyle changes one can reduce their risk.
BIA can be used to monitor athletes trying to gain muscle, lose fat and keep their cells healthy for maximum performance.
It is a motivating tool for those on Weight loss programmes, detoxification, with chronic health problems and those on Wellness programmes to monitor progress. The key to progress is to show that the biomarker parameters are improving and heading in a direction of ANABOLISM- which is the building up of tissue as opposed to CATABOLISM- breaking down of tissue- involved in the ageing process.
