Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA)

Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) is a method of body composition estimation first pioneered in the 1980s and popularized in the 1990s. It works by sending a safe, alternating current through the body and measuring ohmic resistance encountered by the electricity as it travels through the body. Using advanced algorithms analyzing the resistance to the electric flow, BIA devices can calculate muscle, fat, water, metabolism, and much more!

Algorithms and hardware differences make it so devices designed by different manufacturers may not produce the same results. For consistency, we recommend using the same type of device as a baseline.

Note that BIA is not recommended for users with embedded electronic medical devices (ex: pacemakers) due to its usage of electricity for measurement!