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Why Is It Important to Monitor Your Total Body Water
(TBW%) Percentage?
Monitoring the level of body water can be a useful tool for one’s health maintenance.
Water is an essential component of the body and is one of the body’s overall health
indicators. Water makes up approximately 50-70% of the body’s weight and is present
proportionally more in lean tissue as compared to fat tissue.
For example:
• 73% of lean muscle tissue is water
• 80% of blood is water
• 25% of fat is water
• 22% of bone tissue is water
Additionally, water is also a medium for biochemical reactions that regulate body functions.
The estimated TBW% may vary according to your hydration level. For better accuracy,
avoid fluctuations in hydration level prior to taking a measurement.
The accuracy of the unit in estimating TBW% will also decrease with individuals suffering
from diseases or illnesses that tend to accumulate water in the body. Please remember
that the unit represents only a good approximation of your total body water.
The normal TBW% of an individual varies according to body fat percentage and gender.
The table below may be used as a guide:
†† Source: Derived from Wang & Deurenberg: “Hydration of fat-free body
mass”. American Journal Clin Nutr 1999; 69 833-841.
Why Should I Monitor My Skeletal Muscle Mass?
According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ASCM), lean muscle mass may
decrease by nearly 50 percent between the ages of 20 and 90. If you don’t do anything
to replace that loss, you’re losing muscle and increasing fat.
It is also important to know your muscle mass during weight reduction. At rest, the body
burns approximately 50 additional calories for each pound of muscle gained. Some
advantages of gaining muscle mass include:
• Reversing the decline in strength, bone mineral and muscle mass that accompanies age
• Maintenance of flexible joints
• Guide weight reduction when combined with a healthy diet
This body composition scanner tells you the total weight of skeletal muscle in your
body. The normal weight of skeletal muscle mass for men is approximately 40% of total
body weight. For women, normal muscle mass is approximately 30% of total body
weight (International Commission on Radiological Protection, 1975). To find your muscle
mass %, follow this formula:
Use the chart below to see if your muscle mass is low, normal or high.
* Muscle Mass (in pounds)
Total Body Weight
= Muscle Mass %
MUSCLE MASS % RANGES
† Source: HoMedics,
2006. Figures
based on the
following formula:
Weight of
individual’s
skeletal muscle
(in pounds)/total
body weight
(in pounds).
†
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330 66 83 99 116 132 149 165
320 64 80 96 112 128 144 160
310 62 78 93 109 124 140 155
300 60 75 90 105 120 135 150
290 58 73 87 102 116 131 145
280 56 70 84 98 112 126 140
270 54 68 81 95 108 122 135
260 52 65 78 91 104 117 130
250 50 63 75 88 100 113 125
240 48 60 72 84 96 108 120
230 46 58 69 81 92 104 115
220 44 55 66 77 88 99 110
210 42 53 63 74 84 95 105
200 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
190 38 48 57 67 76 86 95
180 36 45 54 63 72 81 90
170 34 43 51 60 68 77 85
160 32 40 48 56 64 72 80
150 30 38 45 53 60 68 75
140 28 35 42 49 56 63 70
130 26 33 39 46 52 59 65
120 24 30 36 42 48 54 60
110 22 28 33 39 44 50 55
100 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
Peso (en libras)
20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
(%) de Masa Muscular
Masa Muscular (en libras)
Normal
Mujeres
Normal
Hombres
Rango de % BF Rango normal de TBW%
70 a 63%
63 a 57%
57 a 55%
55 a 37%
70 a 58%
58 a 52%
52 a 49%
49 a 37 %
4 a 14%
15 a 21%
22 a 24%
25% y m
‡s
4 a 20%
21 a 29%
30 a 32%
33% y m
‡s
Hombres
Mujeres