As we age, our bodies become more prone to illness. Eating just a little more… weight easily increases, making health care goals a new mission for many. Of course, “avoid fried foods, reduce sweets, increase cardio” is a golden rule we are all familiar with. But did you know that the same method… can yield different results because everyone’s body foundation is different? Knowing your own body is like a compass that helps you understand the right health care approach for you. Body Composition analysis is a simple yet highly beneficial tool to find the answers.
Knowing the amount of “total body fat mass” helps guide dietary adjustments
Blood tests may help determine blood fat levels, while body composition analysis provides deeper insights. It reveals how much total body fat you have, how much fat is accumulated in the abdominal area, whether you are at risk of fatty liver disease that could lead to cirrhosis, and also indicates which food groups you regularly consume—high-fat fried foods, excessive carbohydrates, or protein-focused diets—to help plan nutrition and choose foods that are good for your body… tailored to your internal health.
“Muscle mass – Biological age” are two key factors that help exercise be effective
Another interesting aspect of body composition analysis is that it tells us our “biological age,” or simply put, it shows the metabolic rate equivalent to a certain age. As age increases… metabolism slows down. Therefore, even if you are 25 years old, but your metabolic rate is equivalent to a 40-year-old, exercising in the same way for the same duration will yield different results compared to someone with a biological age of 25… or may result in almost no change at all.
So how can we increase our metabolic rate (to match our actual age)? Of course, “muscle mass” is the key hero we need because over 80% of metabolism occurs in muscle tissue cells. Body composition analysis helps determine if your muscle mass is below the standard, indicating muscle strength… which affects the choice of exercise methods.
“Water content” is another important value… that affects physical performance
One important value we learn from body composition analysis is the amount of water in the body. This not only helps us know how much water to drink daily… and how much more is appropriate, especially for those who drink too little and may be at risk of health problems. In terms of sports nutrition, athletes or those who exercise intensely need to know the proper water intake to prevent losing more than 2% of body weight through sweat, as this condition can reduce physical performance by up to 30%.
No matter how many times you have received your annual health check results, “avoid fried and fatty foods, exercise more” is always a key recommendation from doctors. But because our internal health is specific, the diet and exercise methods that are said to be good… may not be good for us. Therefore, if you are thinking about seriously taking care of your health, body composition analysis is the right starting point!!