How to understand Charder ProScan Body Composition results

Measurement of body composition via Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis is commonly offered in professional settings such as hospitals, clinics, and sports centers. However, you may have also received a measurement using the U310 Portable Body Composition Analyzer, which allows practitioners to send your results to your smartphone directly!

 

Although the professional that sent the results to you may have explained what they mean, you might still have more questions and want to learn more. So today, we'll go through all the key body composition results that can be found on the Charder ProScan app, and explain how you can use them for comprehensive evaluation!

 

The app divides results for each individual measurement into several sections, so let's go one by one.

 

The first section of a result provides an overview of the key body composition results, and the icon next to the value lets you know if it has increased (↑), decreased(↓), or remained the same (=) compared to the previous measurement. From top to bottom, results are grouped into Weight, Fat, Muscle, and Other, which will be explained in further detail in their respective sections.

 

Most of the results in the Weight section are fairly straightforward, providing you with your current BMI, weight, and past weight for reference.

"Ideal Weight" is calculated based on Body Mass Index (BMI), using a normal range of 18.5-25, converting it into weight for easier reference. 

As body fat is a better tool than BMI for evaluation of obesity, we recommend just using this for general reference only. If you are overweight, but your fat is within normal range, then the primary source of weight is muscle, which is not a problem when it comes to obesity.

 

Body fat analysis can be divided into two sections - whole body and segmental.

 

 

"Ideal Body Fat Percentage" is based on risk, as opposed to aesthetic.

 

The percentage in the blue box indicates your result in comparison to the ideal. In this case, the subject's body fat is 4% higher than ideal. (if already within ideal range, it will display 0%)

 

Men and women have different normal ranges, based on low, normal, and higher risk for fat-related issues. The standards used by Charder ProScan are as follows:



From a health perspective, abdominal visceral fat around the organs may be even more important than total body fat, as it has a high correlation with obesity-related diseases, and it's possible for your visceral body fat to put you at higher risk even if your total body fat may be relatively normal!

 

Normal range for Visceral Fat Level is between 1 and 10, which is essentially Visceral Fat Area - it is recommended to keep Visceral Fat within normal range.

 

As the U310 measures every segment of the body (compared to traditional consumer-grade BIA devices that only measure half the body and estimate the remaining half), it is able to provide fat results for the Trunk, Right Arm, Left Arm, Right Leg, and Left Leg. Charder ProScan will determine if each result is "Low", "Normal", or "High".

 

 

There are two different "muscle" results provided - Skeletal Muscle Mass (SMM) and Muscle Mass (also referred to as “Soft Lean Mas”). Why are there two different types of results, and which one should you pay closer attention to?

 

Basically, full body muscle ("Muscle Mass") can mostly be divided into three types: cardiac, skeletal, and smooth.

 

Among the three, only skeletal muscle can be controlled consciously to move the body. Because it can be developed actively through training and nutrition, it is the most useful measurement of muscle for training purposes, and so this is the one you want to keep closer track of.

 

 

Note that "Ideal Skeletal Muscle Mass" is based on the amount of Skeletal Muscle recommended for a person to able to conduct most necessary activities in daily life without much of a problem, rather than a goal that is more aesthetic-based.

 

If you are an athlete with specific fitness goals, you may of course be better off with your own specific goals!

 

Muscle imbalance may not be particularly noticeable in day-to-day life, but over time, it may result in pain, soreness, and increased risk of injury. If the body scan indicates imbalance (most importantly between the left/right side), we recommend first strengthening weaker segments to reduce risk of injury. Charder ProScan will determine if each result is "Low", "Normal", or "High".

 

(Total) Body Water is generally correlated with higher muscle mass. Although body water can be an indicator for health risks, that is generally in reference to the balance between Intracellular and Extracellular body Water, not Total Body Water. Generally, we'd recommend just making sure there's no significant or sudden drop in Body Water.

Charder ProScan analyzes your muscle and fat balance, determining if Weight, SMM (Skeletal Muscle Mass), BFM (Body Fat Mass) are low, normal, or high, providing a generalized Body Type Analysis as well, in addition to past trends (current result is in red).

 

Body Age is more of a "fun" indicator, working off the assumption that higher muscle and metabolism is generally associated with a more youthful body.

 

Bone Mass is the weight of (primarily) bone minerals in the body.

 

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is a calculation of how many calories your body burns each day (24 hours) in a resting state. By multiplying this with Physical Activity Level, you can get an estimate of how much energy you use, and therefore how many calories you should be consuming, based on your goals (less than energy expenditure if you wish to lose weight, and more than energy expenditure to gain weight)

 

Sample reference Physical Activity Level chart (from WHO/UN report) below:



Overall, Charder ProScan is a convenient tool that makes understanding results provided by the U310 Body Composition Analyzer easy and intuitive! If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to Contact Us!