Steve Howard The muscle mass index is not as easy to calculate as a body mass index, which the latter does not differentiate between fat and muscle mass. Indeed, great athletes often have calculated BMIs, classifying them in the overweight or even obesity category. However, their bodies are healthy and mostly made up of muscle with little fat. The body mass calculation therefore cannot be applied to everyone and will not be representative of your muscle mass and fat mass.
It is important to remember that muscle mass needs more energy than fat to function because muscles consume the majority of a normal calorie intake. If you want to lose weight, you should therefore be careful not to lose muscle mass, otherwise it will consume less energy. Thus, increasing muscle mass through sports practice may lead to better consumption of assimilated energy, but may also not reduce weight on the scales. Increasing muscle mass may not lead to weight loss, but decrease body fat. You can also check out this article if you want to know how to lose belly fat.
To calculate your muscle mass index, you don’t have to look for a ready-made and unique formula because there is none. In order to dissociate muscle mass from fat mass, other solutions will have to be found.
What are the tools to calculate your muscle mass index?
Knowing that there is no single formula, you will have to turn to a dietetic and sports professional who will be able to approximately measure muscle mass using a tool called: the impedance scale. This tool, now available to the general public, measures your muscle mass using a low-intensity current impelled in the foot and which will pass through your entire body. This electric wave will therefore travel through the tissues and materials of your body depending on the level of water in your body. Depending on the travel time, the percentage of muscle mass will be deducted. The electrical impulse will then pass through muscle tissue faster than fat.
Some impedance scales allow you to calculate the proportions of muscle, fat and water in each limb so that you can more precisely target the areas to work on.
Be careful, however, the results of scales that we find in the trade can have a margin of error of 8% and will therefore need to be taken with flexibility.
In summary
You are not going to be able to measure your muscle mass index with commercial tools or with a calculation formula. However, you will be able to approximate your muscle mass index, with a margin of error, thanks to the impedance scales. For more precision, you will need to turn to a nutrition and sports professional.
