InBody Technology
Learn more about body composition analysis and how InBody's advanced cutting edge technology works.
No Statistical Data Needed
InBody determines your impedance independently, so your results are not affected by statistical information such as age, gender, body type or ethnicity. This results in a unique individual analysis.
8-Point Tactile Electrode System
The strategically placed 8 point and thumb electrode system ensures the starting measurement point remains the same resulting in an incredibly high level of precision.
Direct Segmental Measurements
InBody provides individual measurements for each of the body’s 5 cylinders (arms, legs and torso) to provide you with a more precise and detailed analysis.
Multiple Frequencies
InBody uses multiple currents at varying frequencies to provide precise body composition analysis utilised on a medical level.
What is
Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis
Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) is a method of quantifying body composition by introducing an electrical current throughout the body.
InBody use this method to measure body composition, which divides your weight into different components, such as water, lean body mass and fat mass, to better understand how changes in diet, lifestyle and training regime are influencing overall body composition.
Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis measures impedance by applying alternating low-level electrical currents through the water in the body. The InBody measures each segment separately and shows the impedance values of all five cylinders of the body at each frequency in the impedance section of the InBody Result Sheet.
Through the use of InBody’s unique and patented technologies, InBody has overcome the traditional limitations of BIA and produced a device that yields incredible precision used in medical, research, and fitness applications around the world.
How InBody Started
In 1996, Dr. Kichul Cha revolutionised BIA by developing a device that overcame the traditional limitations of BIA. This resulted in an 8-Point Tactile Electrode System, with Direct Segmental Analysis to measure impedance in the 5 different body parts, using multiple frequencies.
With this technology, the impedance in the limbs and torso are measured separately, yielding highly precise results without using inputted statistical data such as; age, gender, ethnicity, athleticism and body shape.
How InBody Revolutionised BIA
Traditional and other BIA devices incorporate formulas based on inputted statistical data, such as age and gender to compensate for the lack of technology. These devices then in turn produce a set of measurements that is far from precise and you’re left with a scan result that is basically a guess. By changing the age and gender of a user, the inconsistent results then demonstrate the device is using that information and not actually measuring the unique individual.
For example, these equations may take into consideration that muscle mass generally decreases with age and that males tend to have more muscle mass than females. Testing on the InBody will give a user the same body composition measurement whether they test as a male or female, because InBody does not use this data in your measurement. Instead, your body composition is determined based on the impedance values found from each of the body’s 5 cylinders and the distribution of body water. This means the scan result is as unique as you are, only measuring you for you! In other words, direct measures of your impedance and water distribution are used to determine your individualised result.
This is achieved by the four pillars of InBody’s advanced technology:
- Multiple Frequencies
- 8-Point Tactile Electrode System
- Direct Segmental Measurements
- Eliminating the use of inputted age and gender
InBody’s range of body composition analysers are extensively used throughout over 70 countries around the world, in many leading hospitals, research facilities, government organisations, sporting teams, corporate businesses and fitness facilities.
Why InBody asks for age & gender?
InBody requests age and gender simply as a way of providing relevant guidelines on your result sheet. These are generally found in brackets, next to or underneath your actual results. This allows you to compare your results against a broad-spectrum average.
Change your age and gender on an InBody device, your measurements will not change because you have not changed – only the guidelines will change.
Watch the video and see for yourself in realtime:
Patented Technology
InBody’s advanced technology revolves around these four key pillars.
Multiple frequencies
InBody uses multiple frequencies to provide a precise analysis.
By using several different frequencies, more resistance values are attained, providing more information during the analysis. The InBody 770 uses 6 frequencies to measure each segment of the body, providing a total of 30 separate impedance values.
Electrical currents have a different penetration force depending on the frequency. Low frequencies measure the water outside the cell (extracellular water), as they are unable to penetrate the cell wall. Higher frequencies will measure the water content inside the cell (intracellular water) because it penetrates the cell wall.
By using a diverse set of frequencies, the InBody can measure water contents inside and outside the cell separately. Controlling the path of high frequency waves is very difficult. This technical know-how is an InBody specific specialty and has been accumulated over many years of experience in the field.
8-Point Tactile Electrode System with Thumb Electrodes
When measuring impedance through any type of electrode, contact resistance occurs. It is important to control the contact resistance, in order to correctly measure the resistance in the body.
The 8-point tactile with the thumb electrode method separates the current and voltage starting point. This measurement then always begins at a fixed point in the wrists and ankles. This is advantageous, as the contact resistance from the skin has been removed. This method along with InBody's other unique technology creates a high precision of reproducing results that InBody are renowned for.
Measuring the body parts individually
The technical term for this is Direct Segmental Multi-frequency Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (DSM-BIA). It separately measures the impedance (resistance to alternating electric currents) of the trunk, arms, and legs of our body.
This new measurement concept measures the resistance of the cross point of two flows and takes the resistance values of the arms, legs and the body trunk.
Why is this important? The human body is composed of five cylinders: the arms, legs and trunk. With the technology of the InBody, the trunk is directly measured. The trunk is occupied by various internal organs and its metabolic characteristics are different from the other parts of the body. Although difficult, it is important to precisely and directly measure the trunk, since the trunk has very low resistance compared to the arms and legs.
No Statistical Data Needed
InBody is the only BIA device that determines body composition without relying on age and gender to make assumptions about your body composition. The results are extremely precise, and as unique as the person standing on the device.
You can change your age and/or gender on an InBody and your personal results will not change, because you have not changed. InBody requests
age and gender simply as a way of providing relevant guidelines
on your result sheet.
This is one of the underpinning reasons why InBody is used around the world in extensive studies and utilised by top sports people, medical institutions and NASA.
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