Body composition in sport: a comparison of a novel ultrasound imaging technique to measure subcutaneous fat tissue compared with skinfold measurement

Abstract

The ultrasound method allows measurement of uncompressed subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness with an accuracy of 0.1-0.5 mm, depending on the probe frequency. Compressibility of the skinfold depends on the anatomical site, and skin thickness varies by a factor of two. This inevitably limits the skinfold methods for body fat estimation. Ultrasound accuracy for subcutaneous adipose tissue measurement is limited by the plasticity of fat and furrowed tissue borders. Comparative US measurements show that skinfold measurements do not allow accurate assessment of subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness.

Anterior thigh composition measured using ultrasound imaging to quantify relative thickness of muscle and non-contractile tissue: a potential biomarker for musculoskeletal health

“…Composition, Health and Performance has emphasised the need for improved body composition measurement techniques that are suitable for use in the field and provide sufficiently accurate and reliable data (Ackland et al, 2012;Meyer et al, 2013), and USI is being recommended to measure subcutaneous fat in sport (Müller et al, 2013). Investigation of relative thickness of muscle and fat may prove to be more informative than fat.…”

“…The latter would be particularly important in frail older people at risk of losing mobility (Aaron et al 2006). Measurement of body composition is also important in sport (Müller et al, 2013).…”

Body composition in sport: interobserver reliability of a novel ultrasound measure of subcutaneous fat tissue

“…Participants were the same group of athletes as investigated in part I of these interconnected publications11: 11 female division two football players (F) and eight international and national level rhythmic gymnasts (G). Age and anthropometric data of test persons are presented in table 1.…”

“…US is widely used in medical imaging, but is used only rarely for determination of fat,10 although it is one of the more promising techniques for assessment of subcutaneous body fat when combined with appropriate image evaluation. Data from a previous study on US subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) measurement compared to skinfolds11 are used here for the analysis of interobserver reliability.…”

Rheumatoid Cachexia, a Metabolic Rheumatoid Arthritis Disorder: Pathophysiological Mechanisms, Diagnostic Tools and Current Therapeutic Strategy

“…A convenient area is the right quadriceps femoris muscle at the mid-portion between the greater trochanter and the lateral joint line of the knee [38]. Ultrasound may be especially useful in the obese in whom anthropometric measures are inaccurate [39].…”