Dexascan
Health and Wellness Lifestyle

The DexaScan Body Composition Scan

Did you know that women are 4 times more likely to develop osteoporosis than men, and that being asian or caucasian also puts you at higher risk? The older you are also increases your risk as does the dreaded menopause! 

As one of my goals this year is to increase my fitness training and running sessions, I have been researching how to measure and monitor body composition and also how to check my muscle symmetry in order to avoid any injuries.

The DexaScan Body Composition Scan and why you should have it *

A great way to measure your body composition, (the distribution of lean muscle, fat, water and bone in your body so you can track any changes in your fitness over time) is the DexaScan Body Composition Scan.

So, before I go into the detail of the different measures and why they are important, let me explain briefly how the DexaScan works.

The Body Composition Scan 

DexaScan body composition scan

The DexaScan body composition scan takes about 7 minutes, where you’ll be lying flat on the scanning bed, and the procedure (also called dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry), uses x ray technology to determine the distribution of lean muscle, fat, water and bone in your body.

It works by passing two safe and very low dose x-ray beams at differing energy levels through the tissues of the body. The amount of radiation that passes through the tissue is then measured by a detector, and the computer then determines how much of your tissue is muscle fat water or bone and where it’s all stored.

You will get your results directly after the scan, and don’t worry, they will be explained to you by a professional!

DexaScan body composition scan

So, why is the DexaScan body composition scan important?

Well, it is interesting for fitness enthusiasts, athletes, and people who are trying to lose weight, as well as just for maintaining overall health, to get a baseline body composition scan and then objectively measure progress.

The results show you:

  • Overall body fat, lean tissue (muscle), bone weight and percentages
  • Total body bone mineral density
  • Total body muscle mass
  • Total body fat mass
  • Total body bone mass
  • Total body fat percentage
  • Breakdowns for both legs, arms and your torso
  • Where your body fat and muscle is distributed
  • Visceral fat (the dangerous fat around vital organs, and you should be aiming to decrease this).
DexaScan body composition scan

Many dieters, combining a diet and exercise program, often get discouraged as the scales don’t show any weight loss even though they have been dieting and exercising. However, this is totally to be expected as dense muscle weighs more that fat, so just using scales doesn’t give a fair evaluation of progress.

Conversely, dieters on crash diets often getting misleading results because they are losing lean muscle along with fat, and so appear to be losing weight quickly; but the long-term results will be less satisfactory. 

The DexaScan body composition scan lets you see the evolution in your fat/muscle ratio so you know how effective your diet and exercise routine is.

DexaScan body composition scan

If you’re an athlete and training for an event, a DexaScan body composition scan will pick up muscle asymmetries between the left and right sides. This is of particular interest to me, as I suffered an injury to my right leg last year and I know I put too much pressure on my left side to compensate. A DexaScan will show me if this is putting me at risk of muscle asymmetry.

Muscle imbalance asymmetries are often caused when our sport causes us to favour one side over the other, or when we put too much pressure on our dominant side. These asymmetries throw weight distribution off and create unnatural stresses that can lead to injury. So, it is important to be aware of them and to take corrective action!

DexaScan body composition scan

If you’re a body builder and you’re trying to ‘bulk up’, it’s important to know how much muscle you are actually gaining (or how much muscle you are losing on a cut.)
The DEXA scan will show you changes in your body fat and muscle composition and so you can prepare for competitions more effectively.

The Bone Density Scan

The Dexa Scan can also be used to measure your bone density (to measure how strong your bones are, and see if you are at risk of osteoporosis). 

The risk for developing Osteoporosis (decreased density of bones, leading to fragility and increased likelihood of fractures ) increases with age and while both sexes are at risk with increasing age, women are 4 times more likely to develop osteoporosis due to their lighter, thinner bones and longer life spans. 

This scan takes 10 to 20 minutes, and it’s painless and non-invasive. As for the body composition scan, two X-ray beams are used; in this case one high energy and one low energy.

It will measure the X-rays that pass through the bone from each beam, which will vary depending on how thick your bone is. Based on the difference between the two beams, the machine determines your bone density.

If you think you’re at risk of osteoporosis talk to your doctor about scheduling a bone density scan, and remember, you’ll need to schedule a follow up appointment with your doctor after you’ve been scanned to discuss your results. 

Please note, for either scan, you should not take calcium supplements for at least 24 hours before the examination, as this might affect the accuracy of the results, and avoid wearing clothes with metal zippers or hooks.

I hope you enjoyed this feature about the Dexascan Body Composition Scan, and have a look here for more of our lifestyle features.

*Please note that I received compensation in exchange for a feature about DEXASCAN. All research and opinions are my own

27 Comments

  1. I posted on this earlier this week! I had a scan a few weeks ago and it was really interesting to see the results! My sister-in-law gets them done every three months for weight management.

    Jill – Doused in Pink

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      I think it’s a great idea to get them done on a regular basis for weight management as they’re so much more accurate than the scales or calipers!

  2. Julia,
    This is a very smart and important post. Many women don’t realize that they might be at risk for osteoporosis until it’s too late. It is wonderful to be fit and keep those muscles strong. Muscle strength is associated with bone strength as well . As you know.
    I have been on prednisone for 12 years so I do have osteoporosis. I am staying away from the osteoporosis medication though, as I am also trying to build up muscle. I am due for my scan soon also.
    Thanks for sharing this.
    ❤️❤️❤️
    Elle
    https://theellediaries.com/

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you Elle! I hope your scan goes well and I agree that it’s really important to keep your muscles strong xo

  3. Interesing post!!

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you Jules 🙂

  4. wow cool post!
    xx- Nina

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you Nina x

  5. This is very interesting I have heard from a few people about this, curious to try it out.

    xoxo
    Lovely
    http://www.mynameislovely.com

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thanks for reading! Do let me know if you try it! xo

  6. Amy Arnold says:

    I haven’t heard much about this or had it done. Thanks for sharing!

    Amy Ann
    Straight A Style

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thanks for reading Amy Ann x

  7. This is very interesting. This body scan sounds like a great way to determine our health status. Recently I had a CT to determine the density of my bones because I’ve been on immune suppressors (a type of medication that lowers your immune system) for ages ( I have Chron’s) and the scan showed that my bone density is normal, so I was happy about that.

    I did know that women get osteoporosis more often. I’m always mindful of my calcium intake. I don’t drink milk but I try to eat a lot of yogurt and low fact cheese.

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you for sharing this Ivana and I’m so glad your bone density is normal. It’s even more important to have it checked regularly when you’re on medication.
      I try to incorporate calcium in my diet too and luckily I love cheese! x

  8. This is really interesting 🙂

    xx Alyssa | STYLE VANITY

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you, Alyssa. I’m glad you think so 🙂

    2. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you x

  9. Nikki Living Life says:

    Thank you for this helpful post on osteoporosis. We all need to take better care of ourselves as we age. As they say prevention is better than cure. All the drug commercials on TV are so sad, the side effects always gets me. I have not taken one but the idea of a10 to 20 minutes non-invasive bone density scan appeals to me, instead of taking all these drugs at a later stage. I like that there are measures we can take to lead a healthier life.

    Xx
    Nikki

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      I totally agree Nikki! I would much rather take preventative measures now and avoid taking drugs later in life! xo

  10. jodie filogomo says:

    This is such great information. It’s something we don’t always think about, yet it’s so important especially as we age.
    XOXO
    Jodie
    http://www.jtouchofstyle.com

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you Jodie! I agree it’s something we don’t really think about but which is really important x

  11. It sounds like such a cool thing to have done! I’ve never heard of it before xx

    GemmaEtc.com ❤️

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      I think it’s a great thing to have done, particularly if you’re starting a fitness or weight loss program, but it’s also great just for general health! I totally believe prevention is better than cure x

  12. Ruth Josey says:

    This is great information to have about the DEXA scan. I’ve heard of it but really hadn’t looked into it. Do you know if it’s something that requires a doctor’s referral to have done, or can you just schedule one and get it? I know with the bone densities you have to have a referral. Thank you so much for sharing this!

    Ruth

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Hi Ruth, you are quite correct that you need a doctor’s referral for the bone density scan but you don’t need a doctor’s referral for the body composition scan. You just need to call up and schedule an appointment! Hope this helps x

  13. What a great way to monitor your health. Thanks for sharing Julia!

    https://www.kathrineeldridge.com

    1. The Velvet Runway says:

      Thank you for reading Kathrine! I think prevention is better than cure! x

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