Lean Body Mass: More Than Just Muscle
When it comes to tracking changes in body composition, many people focus solely on muscle mass and body fat percentage. However, the concept of lean body mass (LBM) is much broader than just muscle mass, as it includes all fat-free tissues in the body.
So, what exactly is lean body mass? It’s the total weight of all non-fat tissues, including skin, blood, internal organs, skeletal muscle, bones, ligaments, tendons, and even the water and food contents within the digestive tract. In other words, it’s everything in your body that isn’t adipose tissue, or body fat.
Factors such as hydration levels, bowel content, blood volume, and inflammation can influence changes in LBM, in addition to the significant contribution of muscle mass. Retaining water or having a large meal due to hormonal fluctuations or medication can temporarily increase your LBM, even if your actual muscle mass hasn’t changed.
Tracking Progress
It’s important to keep these factors in mind when tracking changes in LBM, as they can have a significant impact on the accuracy of your measurements. In addition, it’s important to recognize that there are limitations and potential sources of error in the methods used to measure body composition.
For example, methods such as bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and skinfold thickness measurements rely on assumptions about the distribution of body fat and lean mass throughout the body. These assumptions may not hold true for everyone, particularly individuals with unusual body shapes or those with significant muscle mass.
Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is often considered the gold standard for measuring body composition, because it precisely breaks down of bone, fat, and lean mass. However, hydration levels and bone density are factors that can affect even this method’s accuracy and precision.
Overall, lean body mass is a complex concept that encompasses much more than just muscle mass. By understanding the various factors that can influence changes in LBM and the limitations of the methods used to measure it, you can make more informed decisions about your health and fitness goals.
If you’re looking to track your LBM or any other body composition numbers, Book a No Sweat Intro with our FX Coaches.
-FX Fitness Studio
