Nutrition risk describes the risk of poor nutritional status across a range from healthy nutrition to malnutrition. Nutrition risk reflects physiological status, the ingestion, absorption and metabolism of foods, along with social, economic and behavioural factors.

Determinants of body composition point to important therapeutic targets for this disease. This study explores associations between diet, nutrition risk and physical activity with body composition in OA.

Our findings show that higher engagement in physical activity, lower nutrition risk and, to a small extent higher fibre cereal intake, were associated with better body composition in a sample of Canadian older adults with OA.

Lifestyle behaviours around nutrition and physical activity are important to consider in OA disease. Body composition is linked to structural joint damage and physical function in OA.

Radiographic knee OA was associated with both regional lower lean mass in Korean adults 8 and greater fat mass and fat-to-lean mass ratio in post-menopausal women. Concurrently reducing fat mass and maintaining lean mass is an important goal in OA. To achieve this specificity in dietary OA interventions, a deeper understanding of malnutrition in OA, and its impact on body composition, is necessary.

Malnutrition, defined as a deficiency or excess of one or more essential nutrients that creates functional changes, leads to a greater risk for functional impairment, mortality, disease and dependence. The purpose of this study was to determine whether nutrition risk, dietary intake and physical activity level explained variance in body composition among older adults with OA.

It was hypothesised that poorer diet higher intake of high calorie snacks, lower intake of high fibre cereal , higher nutrition risk and lower reported physical activity would be associated with lower lean mass and higher fat mass, body fat percentage and total mass in older adults with hip, knee and hand OA.

These findings could point to interventional targets to combat sarcopenic obesity in OA. This research was conducted using baseline data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging CLSA comprehensive data set. Coordinators at each of the data collection sites underwent a 3-day training session at the CLSA National Coordinating Centre, following which they were responsible for training staff at their local data collection site.

The CLSA aims to study factors related to ageing and adult development with the goal of developing interventions to promote healthy ageing. These exclusion criteria were applied to reduce the potential confounding effect of chronic disease, for example, by influencing physical activity.

Food intake variables were measured using the Short Diet Questionnaire. This food frequency questionnaire asks participants to record their usual intake of 36 food and drink items over the past year, from which number of daily servings is calculated. This questionnaire asks participants to record the frequency of food intake by providing a number and then indicating per day, week, month or year.

They could also choose to refuse to answer or indicate that they did not know the answer. Two independent variables were obtained from this questionnaire: high calorie snack intake NUT HC and high fibre cereal intake NUT FBR.

These two food items were selected because these were hypothesised to be different between obese and non-obese participants.

NUT HC was the total consumption of items from four questions of the questionnaire: 1 ice cream, ice milk, frozen yoghurt, milk-based desserts, 2 salty snacks, 3 cakes, pies, doughnuts, pastries, cookies, muffins and 4 chocolate bars.

NUT FBR was a single question from the diet questionnaire regarding intake of high fibre cereal. Higher fibre intake has been related to reduced risk of knee pain. Nutrition risk was measured using the 8-item SCREEN II tool.

This tool provides a continuous score nutrition risk NUR from 0 to 48, with higher scores reflecting lower NUR. Physical activity was measured using the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly PASE. The total time spent in different activities is then multiplied by individual weighting factors, from which a total PASE score is calculated.

PASE scores range from 0 to , with a higher score reflecting higher physical activity level. Covariates included age, sex, BMI, OA type, depressive symptoms and socioeconomic factors. Social inequality rating asked participants to rate their stance within their community by envisioning a step ladder, and asking them to report which step they would place themselves on.

Body composition was measured using an Hologic Discovery A dual energy X-ray absorptiometry DEXA scanner. DEXA scanning is less expensive with lower radiation exposure than CT, while offering excellent reliability for body compositional measurements.

Regression analyses were performed for each body composition outcome as a dependent variable lean mass, fat mass, body fat percentage, total mass. For each, six models were created. The initial model included only covariates. For the remaining five models, each independent variable NUT HC , NUT FBR , NUR, NUR CLS , PASE was added independently to the covariate model.

Likelihood-ratio tests were conducted to determine whether each independent variable explained significantly more variance than the covariate model. Further, because NUR CLS was ordinal, effect sizes d were calculated between NUR CLS low NUR, moderate NUR, high NUR for each outcome measure. Margins plots were created for statistically significant independent variables.

Model diagnostics collinearity, normality, heteroskedasticity were assessed and visually inspected. These participants were Participant characteristics, including mean values and ranges for covariates, independent and dependent variables are presented in table 1.

Characteristics of participants whose data were included in these analyses mean SD , minimum, maximum. Each of the covariate models explained a large amount of variance for each of the body composition outcomes.

Specifically, the covariate model explained The frequency of NUT HC was not associated with any body composition outcomes. NUR, nutrition risk; NUT FBR , high fibre cereal intake; PA, physical activity. A higher NUR score lower NUR was associated with higher lean mass, lower fat mass and lower body fat percentage.

Moderate and high NURs were not significantly different for either outcome. Linear regression margin plots for significant predictor variables high fibre cereal, nutrition risk score, physical activity : lean mass top row , fat mass middle row , fat percentage bottom row.

Lower self-reported physical activity and greater NUR, reflecting nutrition behaviours that are associated with malnutrition, were associated with less lean mass and greater fat mass and body fat percentage in Canadian older adults with OA.

This work highlights that NUR is linked to body composition in OA. Further, behaviours around NUR and physical activity level appear more important than the intake of food items, which may be a proxy for diet quality, with respect to body composition in OA.

While NUT FBR was associated with higher lean mass and lower body fat percentage, the associations were weak with large CI bands, suggesting other factors influence the relationship between fibre intake and body composition. NUT HC was not associated with any body composition outcomes.

Finally, this work emphasises that crude measures of total body mass reflecting obesity do not reveal insight into body composition in OA. NUR was associated with body composition in this large sample of Canadian older adults with OA. There is no work regarding NUR in OA, and only limited evidence regarding the association between NUR and body composition in older adults.

Recently, Chatindiara and colleagues 20 showed that lower NUR, measured with the Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form MNA-SF , was associated with higher fat-free mass index and body fat percentage in community-dwelling older adults with a median age of 79 years. These associations may be driven by the inclusion of BMI on the MNA-SF.

As a reduction in mass may reflect malnutrition and frailty risk in older adults, researchers suggested a possible protective effect of higher BMI for mortality and morbidity.

This conflicting evidence between the current analysis and previous work may reflect differences in NUR tools and in study populations. Also, in the current analysis it is important to note that, among participants with lower NUR scores, the CI bands are wide suggesting lower confidence in estimating body composition in those with greater NUR.

Nevertheless, the findings from the current analysis regarding NUR provide insight that NUR, a factor that can be modified through intervention, is an important considering in OA.

A weak, inverse relationship between NUT FBR and body fat percentage corroborates previous research. Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative and Framingham Offspring Osteoarthritis Study show that 32 higher intake of dietary fibre may lead to lower body mass longitudinally in symptomatic knee OA; a relationship potentially mediated by C-reactive protein a pro-inflammatory marker.

In this OA subsample from the CLSA data set, physical activity level was associated with body composition. As hypothesised, higher physical activity as self-reported on the PASE, was related to higher lean mass, lower fat mass and lower body fat percentage.

People with OA engage in less physical activity than their counterparts. While physical activity, NUR and fibre intake were associated with elements of body composition, these independent variables were not associated with total mass.

The relative ratio of fat free to fat mass may be more important than total body mass in OA. Given that diet interventions have demonstrated a concurrent reduction in both lean and fat mass, 13 14 the current findings raise the importance of evaluating body composition, rather than solely mass, when determining the efficacy of diet and physical activity interventions in OA.

Intensive aquatic resistance exercise for OA reduced fat mass and increased walking speed after the 4-month intervention period. First, the Short Diet Questionnaire to assess food intake was brief, and the individual items of a NUT HC and NUT FBR were used to categorise the quality of diet.

This study did not consider the effects of other food items, distribution of macronutrients or caloric intake. This bias reflects both recall response reflects inability to accurately report a past event and social desirability response reflects a desire to seek social approval.

Social desirability bias is likely to skew data toward self-reporting better nutrition and physical activity. Importantly, the use of self-report tools also reflects practicality when collecting data in a large scale study such as the CLSA.

Third, environmental conditions, namely outdoor temperature, affect physical activity in knee OA but were not considered in this analysis.

Fourth, CLSA documentation identifies that, at the developmental stage of the CLSA, it was deemed inappropriate to combine dissimilar ethnic groups, while also logistically challenging to obtain a sufficient sample in distinct groups. Lifestyle behaviours, characterised by NUR and physical activity, appear more important than dietary intake eg, fibre or NUT HC for body composition in older Canadians with OA.

This study suggests that body composition may provide more insight than crude measures of body size in understanding OA pathology; and that OA interventions should target both physical activity and the behaviours surrounding nutrition. Future interventions should explore a combination of physical activity and mitigation of NUR through removal of barriers to improved food intake and education on diet quality to improve body composition and outcomes of those living with OA.

Ethical approval was received from the Hamilton Integrated Research Ethics Board Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The authors would like to acknowledge Professor Paul Stratford from the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University for statistical support.

Contributors All authors contributed to the design, analysis and interpretation of data, drafting and final approval of the article. MRM is the guarantor. Funding JNC-H was supported through a Canadian Institutes of Health Research CIHR fellowship award.

MRM is supported by The Arthritis Society Stars Career Development Award, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research-Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis.

Operating costs were supported by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada NSERC Discovery grant MRM. Funding for the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging CLSA is provided by the Government of Canada through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research CIHR under grant reference: LSA and the Canada Foundation for Innovation.

Disclaimer The opinions expressed in this manuscript are the author's own and do not reflect the views of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. Competing interests No, there are no competing interests. The Energy Balance Study: The design and baseline results for a longitudinal study of energy balance.

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A new scale of social desirability independent of psychopathology. J Consult Psychol 24, — Larsen, K. Approval seeking, social cost and aggression - scale and some dynamics. J Psychol 94, 3—11 Download references. Department of Exercise Science, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, , USA.

Clemens Drenowatz, Robin P. Shook, Gregory A. South Carolina Statewide Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, , USA. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, , USA.

You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar. and J. conceived and designed the study. managed data collection C. analysed the data and wrote the manuscript with input from J.

and R. Funding for this project was provided through an unrestricted grant from The Coca-Cola Company. Hébert was supported by an Established Investigator Award in Cancer Prevention and Control from the Cancer Training Branch of the National Cancer Institute K05 CA The sponsors played no role in the study design, collection, analysis and interpretation of data, or preparation and submission of this manuscript.

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nature scientific reports articles article. Download PDF. Subjects Obesity Risk factors. Abstract Excess body weight is associated with an imbalance between energy expenditure and dietary intake but evidence on the association between diet quality and body composition remains equivocal.

Introduction Excessive body weight has been associated with various chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, many forms of cancer and numerous musculoskeletal problems 1 , 2.

Results Participants included in the analysis did not differ in ethnicity or educational background compared to those excluded due to lack of compliance. Table 1 Descriptive characteristics. Values are mean ± SD except for ethnicity and education where prevalence is reported Full size table.

Values are correlation coefficients p-value Full size table. Discussion The present findings show a significant but low correlation between body composition and diet quality, which is consistent with studies using previous versions of the HEI 11 , 12 , Methods Study Sample Baseline data from an observational study, including Dietary assessment Multiple 24HR interviews were administered over the phone by a team of experienced registered dietitians over a period of 14 days.

Assessment of energy expenditure and physical activity Energy expenditure was measured with the SenseWear Armband SWA, BodyMedia® Inc. Anthropometric measurements and confounding variables Body weight kg and height cm were measured with participants dressed in surgical scrubs and in bare feet according to standard procedures.

Statistical analysis Differences between men and women were examined by ANOVA for continuous variables or Chi-square tests for nominal variables. References Guh, D. Article PubMed Google Scholar Zheng, W. Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar WHO. Article PubMed Google Scholar Finkelstein, E.

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Author information Authors and Affiliations Department of Exercise Science, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, , USA Clemens Drenowatz, Robin P. Blair South Carolina Statewide Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, , USA James R.

Hébert Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, , USA James R.

Blair Authors Clemens Drenowatz View author publications. View author publications. Ethics declarations Competing interests Funding for this project was provided through an unrestricted grant from The Coca-Cola Company.

Rights and permissions This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3. To lose body fat , a calorie deficit must be created, which can be achieved either by consuming fewer calories or expending more energy Consuming a diet rich in protein has been shown to reduce fat while preserving lean body mass.

A study in 88 adults with overweight found that a hypocaloric diet that contained 0. Studies have shown that higher protein intake is necessary for athletes attempting to lose fat while maintaining muscle. Another older review of six studies showed that athletes who lost the least amount of muscle mass while cutting calories consumed the most protein — 1.

For this reason, upping your protein intake to at least 0. Aside from hiking protein intake and increasing calorie expenditure, here are other tried-and-true methods for losing body fat:. Moderately decreasing your calorie intake, limiting processed foods, and increasing protein and fiber intake are the best ways to lose fat while preserving muscle mass.

While losing fat is important, maintaining or gaining muscle is key to changing your body composition. A balanced diet rich in whole foods , such as fresh produce, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, and protein, is best for everyone, regardless of fitness goals.

Individuals trying to reform their body composition may need to focus on bumping up their protein intake , as studies have shown that a high protein diet is necessary for promoting muscle growth. For example, one review concluded that 0.

Another review of 49 studies found that even though participants consumed an average 0. The researchers concluded that consuming the recommended daily allowance RDA of 0.

Along with a high protein, whole foods diet, incorporating strength training exercise into your routine is crucial.

Strength training involves using resistance exercises to build strength and muscle mass. An example of strength training is lifting weights. If building muscle and reducing fat is your goal, experts recommend a training protocol of at least 2 days of resistance training per week.

A review of 10 studies demonstrated that resistance training twice per week was more effective at maximizing muscle growth than training just once per week Combining strength training exercises like squats, bench presses, pushups, and other muscle-building exercises for 2 to 3 days per week alongside 1 to 2 days per week of interval training may be the perfect combination.

Studies show that combining high intensity interval training with resistance training leads to fat loss, as well as increased muscle mass and strength 27 , To build muscle, increase your protein intake to at least 0.

Research demonstrates that consuming whole, complete protein sources throughout the day is the best way to gain muscle mass. For example, consuming high quality protein sources — including protein supplements — up to 2 hours after working out stimulates muscle protein synthesis Protein sources that contain high amounts of essential amino acids EAAs , especially the branched chain amino acid leucine, are most effective at promoting muscle growth.

Whey protein is a type of protein powder that is rich in EAAs and makes a convenient post-workout protein source. Plus, supplementing with whey protein has been shown to boost muscle growth when combined with resistance training programs Supplements including whey, pea protein, casein, and hemp powders are a practical way to increase your protein intake and can be especially helpful for those engaged in rigorous resistance training.

Adding protein sources , such as eggs, chicken, fish, nuts, nut butters, beans, and yogurt, to every meal and snack is the best way to meet your needs.

Protein supplements such as whey protein powder can boost your protein intake and stimulate muscle growth. However, research shows that the most effective way to meet protein needs is through consuming whole food sources throughout the day.

Body recomposition stresses the importance of gaining muscle while losing fat, which may decrease your risk of chronic disease and boost metabolism. Try increasing your protein intake to at least 0.

Body recomposition methods can be used by everyone from elite athletes to those simply looking for a healthy way to get in shape. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

Body composition refers to more than weight, since it accounts for both fat and muscle mass. This article explains how to improve your body….

Further, potential biases due to social desirability and social approval were considered in the analysis adding credibility to the results of this study. Nevertheless, selective misreporting of dietary intake needs to be considered as participants may purposely omit high fat snacks, alcohol or other foods that are considered unhealthy.

There was also no differentiation between weekdays and weekend days on dietary reports even though there may be a difference in diet quality in different days of the week. The cross-sectional design of the study also needs to be considered when interpreting the findings.

Health behaviors were assessed over a period of 10 to 14 days and provide only a snapshot of these behaviors even though participants were screened for changes in body weight or health behavior leading up to the study.

As the study population consisted predominantly of European-American adults with a college degree, the generalizability of the results may be limited. population 4. The utilization of continuous scores for HEI, PA and body composition also supports this argument.

In summary, this study provides evidence of an association between diet quality and body composition independent of PA, particularly in men. The inverse relationship between protein intake and body composition should be emphasized as a high protein consumption is a popular recommendation for weight loss Based on the present findings and results of a recent study including a large US representative sample 29 the emphasis on high protein content needs to be revisited.

Rather than total protein intake, more emphasis on lean protein sources may be necessary. Results of the present study also indicate a stronger effect of PA on body composition compared to diet quality.

Due to their lower PA levels, women may obtain greater benefits by increasing their MVPA, while the lower diet quality of men may make them more susceptible to the benefits of an increase in diet quality. Most likely a combination of a balanced diet and sufficient PA will provide the greatest benefits but more research is needed to determine the differential effects of diet and PA on body composition and health in different populations and at different age range.

Baseline data from an observational study, including Specifics of the study have been described previously As only participants with at least two hour diet recalls 24HR and at least 7 days including 2 weekend days of PA data were included in the present analysis the final sample size consists of All participants signed an informed consent prior to data collection.

The study was approved by the University of South Carolina Institutional Review Board and is in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Multiple 24HR interviews were administered over the phone by a team of experienced registered dietitians over a period of 14 days.

Despite the limitations of the reliance on self-report this method is considered the most accurate currently available tool for the assessment of dietary intake in a natural environment In order to increase accuracy of dietary reports, participants were given a validated 2-dimensional food portion visual 44 and received 10—15 minutes of training on how to use it to estimate portion sizes of commonly eaten foods.

Dietary data were analyzed using the Nutrient Data System for Research software NDSR Version; Nutrition Coordinating Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA. Average values from the multiple 24HR were used to calculate the HEI The rationale and significance of the utilization of the HEI as measure of diet quality has been documented previously The HEI consists of 10 food components and 2 nutrients total fruit, whole fruit, total vegetable, greens and beans, whole grains, dairy products, total protein, seafood and plant-based protein, fatty acids; moderation: refined grains, sodium, empty calories.

In all other categories, a higher score reflects a higher consumption of the respective components. The individual components are summed to provide a single score between 0 and with higher scores indicating a higher conformance with current dietary guidelines For the original HEI, scores above 80 indicate a good diet, while scores below 51 reflect a poor diet.

A HEI score between 51 and 80 is considered as needing dietary improvement Energy expenditure was measured with the SenseWear Armband SWA, BodyMedia® Inc.

The SWA incorporates tri-axial accelerometry, galvanic skin response, heat flux, skin temperature and near body temperature; and has been shown to provide accurate estimates of energy expenditure in free-living adults 47 , This was during the same time frame the 24HR were administered.

During periods of non-wear time participants recorded their activities, which were subsequently used to implement energy expenditure based on the Compendium of Physical Activity Body weight kg and height cm were measured with participants dressed in surgical scrubs and in bare feet according to standard procedures.

Body weight was measured to the nearest 0. Fat mass and fat free mass were measured via a Lunar fan-beam dual X-ray absorptiometry DXA scanner GE Healthcare model , Waukesha, WI, USA and used to calculate BF. Demographic information including age, education and ethnicity, were obtained via questionnaire.

Participants also completed the Marlow-Crowne Social Desirability Scale 51 and the Martin-Larsen Approval Motivation scale 52 as social desirability and social approval have been shown to affect self-reported dietary information Differences between men and women were examined by ANOVA for continuous variables or Chi-square tests for nominal variables.

Subsequent analyses were performed for the total sample adjusting for sex and separately for men and women. Partial correlation, additionally adjusting for age, education and ethnicity, was used to examine the association between BF, HEI, time spent in MVPA and time spent sedentary.

Linear regression analysis was used to determine the combined association of HEI, MVPA and sedentary time with BF including the previously mentioned covariates. In a second analysis social desirability and social approval were added as additional covariates to address the potential of dietary misrepresentation.

All analyses were carried out with SPSS® Guh, D. et al. The incidence of co-morbidities related to obesity and overweight: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

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Nutr Clin Pract ; 25 : — Dietary fiber intake in relation to knee pain trajectory. Arthritis Care Res ; 69 : — 9. Keller HH , Goy R , Kane S-L. Validity and reliability of screen II seniors in the community: risk evaluation for eating and nutrition, version II.

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Whole-grain intake and cereal fiber are associated with lower abdominal adiposity in older adults. J Nutr ; : — 5. Dai Z , Jafarzadeh SR , Niu J , et al. While losing fat is important, maintaining or gaining muscle is key to changing your body composition.

A balanced diet rich in whole foods , such as fresh produce, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, and protein, is best for everyone, regardless of fitness goals.

Individuals trying to reform their body composition may need to focus on bumping up their protein intake , as studies have shown that a high protein diet is necessary for promoting muscle growth.

For example, one review concluded that 0. Another review of 49 studies found that even though participants consumed an average 0. The researchers concluded that consuming the recommended daily allowance RDA of 0.

Along with a high protein, whole foods diet, incorporating strength training exercise into your routine is crucial. Strength training involves using resistance exercises to build strength and muscle mass. An example of strength training is lifting weights.

If building muscle and reducing fat is your goal, experts recommend a training protocol of at least 2 days of resistance training per week.

A review of 10 studies demonstrated that resistance training twice per week was more effective at maximizing muscle growth than training just once per week Combining strength training exercises like squats, bench presses, pushups, and other muscle-building exercises for 2 to 3 days per week alongside 1 to 2 days per week of interval training may be the perfect combination.

Studies show that combining high intensity interval training with resistance training leads to fat loss, as well as increased muscle mass and strength 27 , To build muscle, increase your protein intake to at least 0.

Research demonstrates that consuming whole, complete protein sources throughout the day is the best way to gain muscle mass.

For example, consuming high quality protein sources — including protein supplements — up to 2 hours after working out stimulates muscle protein synthesis Protein sources that contain high amounts of essential amino acids EAAs , especially the branched chain amino acid leucine, are most effective at promoting muscle growth.

Whey protein is a type of protein powder that is rich in EAAs and makes a convenient post-workout protein source. Plus, supplementing with whey protein has been shown to boost muscle growth when combined with resistance training programs Supplements including whey, pea protein, casein, and hemp powders are a practical way to increase your protein intake and can be especially helpful for those engaged in rigorous resistance training.

Adding protein sources , such as eggs, chicken, fish, nuts, nut butters, beans, and yogurt, to every meal and snack is the best way to meet your needs.

Protein supplements such as whey protein powder can boost your protein intake and stimulate muscle growth. However, research shows that the most effective way to meet protein needs is through consuming whole food sources throughout the day. Body recomposition stresses the importance of gaining muscle while losing fat, which may decrease your risk of chronic disease and boost metabolism.

Try increasing your protein intake to at least 0. Body recomposition methods can be used by everyone from elite athletes to those simply looking for a healthy way to get in shape.

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

Body composition refers to more than weight, since it accounts for both fat and muscle mass. This article explains how to improve your body…. People tend to make many mistakes when they try to lose weight. Here are 15 common weight loss mistakes to avoid. Focusing on body fat percentage instead of weight is much more useful to track fat loss progress.

Here are the 10 best ways to measure your body fat…. Cardio and weightlifting can help you lose weight and burn fat, but they may do so at a different pace and with different results.

Several dietary and lifestyle changes can help you burn body fat. Here are 12 great methods to promote long-term fat loss. High protein diets can help you lose weight and improve your overall health.

There are many methods to assess your body composition. Some are very simple and easy to use, while others are advanced and complicated. However, there are some simple methods you can use at home to give you an idea about whether your body composition is improving.

One technique is tracking the circumference of different body parts 2. At home, you can also track the circumference of other body parts, such as the hips, arms, legs or chest. For example, decreases in waist circumference are typically a sign that you are losing belly fat 3. Gram for gram, fat takes up more space than muscle.

Of course, it is very important to measure the same way each time so that you get more accurate results. However, taking pictures of your body every few weeks or months can be one way to assess how your body is changing.

In addition to these simple methods, there are devices you can buy that measure body composition. BIA sends small electrical currents through your body to see how much your body resists the current. This information is used to predict your body fat percentage 5.

If you do choose to use a BIA device, be sure to use it in the morning before you eat or drink anything 7. Any of these changes will lead to a decrease in your body fat percentage, which is viewed as a single number that describes your body composition.

Nonetheless, a good place to start is with some basic principles of nutrition and physical activity. In simple terms, if you consistently eat more calories than your body uses, you will gain weight — typically as fat.

Likewise, if you consistently eat fewer calories than your body uses, you will lose weight. Often, they are processed foods, such as ice cream, pizza and chips, that are highly rewarding to the brain This is partly due to their low protein and fiber content.

After considering how many calories you eat, think about whether you are eating enough protein and fiber. Protein is important for everyone, but you may need more if you are active or trying to gain muscle or lose fat It is more satisfying than carbs or fat, and your body also burns more calories processing protein than these other nutrients 11 , Fiber also has several health benefits and can increase the feelings of fullness and satisfaction after eating 13 , It can be obtained from a variety of plant-based foods, including beans, whole grains, nuts and vegetables For adults up to age 50, it is recommended that men consume 38 grams of fiber per day, while women are advised to eat 25 grams per day Keeping your calories, protein and fiber in check is a good place to start if you want to improve your body composition and health.

Physical activity and exercise are other crucial components for improving body composition. They not only increase the calories you use, but they are also necessary for optimal muscle growth.

Since body composition can be improved by decreasing fat mass or increasing muscle mass, this is an important point. Your muscles need to be challenged by exercise, particularly weight training, to grow and get stronger However, many types of exercise can potentially help with fat loss The American College of Sports Medicine states that — minutes of exercise per week may lead to a small amount of weight loss If you exercise 5 days per week, this comes out to 30—50 minutes per day, though they recommend minutes per week or more to promote significant weight loss While these recommendations focus on body weight, it is important to remember that some forms of exercise will build muscle while you are losing fat.

This is another example of why thinking about your body composition, rather than just body weight, is a good idea. There is some evidence that people who have poorer sleep quality have worse body composition than those with good sleep quality Regardless, it is a good idea to consider whether your sleep habits can be improved.

Alcohol consumption is another factor that may affect body composition. Since alcohol contains calories, it can contribute to excess calorie intake and fat gain Some research has also shown that individuals who consume a lot of alcohol are more likely to be obese Additionally, some factors that affect body composition cannot be changed.

Adding protein sources , such as eggs, chicken, fish, nuts, nut butters, beans, and yogurt, to every meal and snack is the best way to meet your needs. Protein supplements such as whey protein powder can boost your protein intake and stimulate muscle growth.

However, research shows that the most effective way to meet protein needs is through consuming whole food sources throughout the day. Body recomposition stresses the importance of gaining muscle while losing fat, which may decrease your risk of chronic disease and boost metabolism.

Try increasing your protein intake to at least 0. Body recomposition methods can be used by everyone from elite athletes to those simply looking for a healthy way to get in shape. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

Body composition refers to more than weight, since it accounts for both fat and muscle mass. This article explains how to improve your body….

People tend to make many mistakes when they try to lose weight. Here are 15 common weight loss mistakes to avoid. Focusing on body fat percentage instead of weight is much more useful to track fat loss progress. Here are the 10 best ways to measure your body fat….

Cardio and weightlifting can help you lose weight and burn fat, but they may do so at a different pace and with different results.

Several dietary and lifestyle changes can help you burn body fat. Here are 12 great methods to promote long-term fat loss.

High protein diets can help you lose weight and improve your overall health. This article explains how and provides a high protein diet plan to get….

There are several dietary supplements that can help increase muscle mass and strength. Here are the 6 best supplements to gain more muscle. Protein is incredibly important for your health, weight loss, and body composition. This article explains exactly how much protein you should eat. Your metabolism determines how many calories you burn each day.

Here are 8 easy ways to boost your metabolism, backed by science. It can. Excess fat in your upper body can make breaking difficult and snoring more likely. Let's look at why and what you can do:. A Quiz for Teens Are You a Workaholic? How Well Do You Sleep? Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect.

Nutrition Evidence Based Body Recomposition: Lose Fat and Gain Muscle at the Same Time. Medically reviewed by Amy Richter, RD , Nutrition — By Jillian Kubala, MS, RD — Updated on January 27, What it is How it works Fat loss Muscle gain Supplements Bottom line Increasing your protein intake and incorporating strength training into your routine can help you lose body fat and increase muscle mass.

What is body recomposition? How does body recomposition work? How to lose fat. How to gain muscle. Protein is a fundamental building block for cells, tissues, and organs, including muscles, bones, skin, and hair.

It plays a crucial role in the growth, repair, and maintenance of these structures. Protein is also involved in enzymatic reactions, serving as enzymes and catalysts for various metabolic processes.

It contributes to the production of hormones, antibodies for the immune system, and transport molecules like haemoglobin. In terms of diet, protein has a higher thermic effect on food compared to fats and carbohydrates, meaning the body expends more energy to digest and process protein.

This can contribute to increased calorie burning and fat loss. High-protein diets are often beneficial for individuals aiming to build lean muscle mass while reducing body fat. High-protein diets can positively impact performance by promoting muscle growth, repair, and recovery.

Protein provides the essential amino acids necessary for muscle protein synthesis, enhancing strength, power, and endurance. Adequate protein intake is crucial for optimizing performance and supporting athletic goals. Low-carbohydrate diets , such as the ketogenic diet, restrict the intake of carbohydrates and encourage the body to utilize fat as its primary fuel source.

By significantly reducing carbohydrate intake, the body enters a state of ketosis, where it produces ketones from fat stores. This metabolic state can lead to rapid initial weight loss due to water loss and increased fat burning. However, the long-term effects of low-carb diets on body composition and athletic performance may vary among individuals.

While they can be effective for weight loss, some individuals may experience decreased energy levels and impaired exercise performance due to limited glycogen stores. Glycogen is a stored form of glucose primarily found in the liver and muscles. The amount of glycogen stored in the human body can vary depending on factors such as muscle mass, physical activity level, and diet.

On average, a well-nourished adult can store around grams of glycogen. The majority of glycogen is stored in the muscles, accounting for approximately grams. At approximately 4 calories per gram, this equates to approximately calories!

The liver stores around grams or approximately calories. It serves as a readily available energy source for the body. Each gram of glycogen is stored with approximately grams of water.

Thus, when glycogen stores are depleted, water is also lost. Glycogen plays a vital role in performance as it serves as a primary fuel source for high-intensity activities.