[hlnx1]

Skinfolds, smart scales, DXA scans: every method gives a number, and they rarely agree. Knowing their limits avoids a lot of worry.

A rough guide:

• Bioelectrical impedance (most smart scales) is strongly affected by hydration, recent food and exercise; single readings can swing noticeably
• Skinfolds are useful for tracking change when the same trained person measures the same sites each time
• DXA is often treated as a reference, but it also has error and depends on standardised conditions
• The trend over months, measured the same way, tells you more than any single number

More detail: body composition in footballers and assessment methods.

Do you track body composition, and has it ever changed how you train or eat?

[hlnx1]

If you use a smart scale, standardise it: same time (morning, after the toilet, before eating or drinking), same conditions, and look at weekly averages. That removes much of the noise.

Do not compare your number from one device with someone else’s from another. They are not interchangeable.

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