Thread: Do I need to not eat or exercise before a DEXA body fat percentage scan?

They cost $50 at my local medical facility and no doctor's order is needed. I have read you should not exercise 12 hours beforehand, or eat four hours beforehand, take calcium, etc. And the more water you drink, the lower your body fat will be.

The problem is I go to a 24-hour small gym and weight train seven days a week at night into morning, when I am all alone and can hog the squat rack and both sides of the universal cable attachment machine (whatever that is called). I won't be able to get the scan until morning, then I go to bed. Of course, I eat during this time too. I also drink 2.5 gallons of water a day and a quart of skim milk (for the casein).

QUESTION: If I don't care about the bone density part of the DEXA scan, can I exercise; eat; and take my pre-, post-, and during workout concoctions as normal?

Thanks!

EDIT: The $200 professional Tanita multi-scan technology weight scale I have shows a varying 12.7%-13.7% body fat for a female athlete. (For the hell of it, I also enter male athlete on a regular basis, and it shows 5.0% body fat consistently.).

EDIT 2:
QUESTION 2: Also, should I cut before the scheduled scan? I have only been body building since August and probably still am gaining muscle mass.

Keep the $50, its a waste of money.

Originally Posted by mileena202

Thanks, but I need to see how much muscle I am gaining, or if the weight gain is mostly fat. To do this, I need accurate percentages over time. I can afford $50 once or twice a year.

Wouldn't you want to use a method with results that doesn't vary with when you eat relative to testing?

Originally Posted by mileena202

Thanks, but I need to see how much muscle I am gaining, or if the weight gain is mostly fat. To do this, I need accurate percentages over time. I can afford $50 once or twice a year.

You're not going to get anything accurate from a DEXA scan, results tend to vary wildly.

See any of the other hundreds of threads people have started on here wondering why they worked out hard for 6 months and then the DEXA scan says they lost muscle.

Originally Posted by mileena202

Thanks, but I need to see how much muscle I am gaining, or if the weight gain is mostly fat. .

It won't be accurate. Just get a cloth tape measure and measure your waist at the navel. A 1" gain or loss there is about 5-7 lbs of fat loss\gain. That will be as accurate or usually more accurate than the machines. So if you gain say 10 lbs and waist grows an inch you're close to or at your limit of fat\muscle ratio gain.

Originally Posted by mileena202

They cost $50 at my local medical facility and no doctor's order is needed. I have read you should not exercise 12 hours beforehand, or eat four hours beforehand, take calcium, etc. And the more water you drink, the lower your body fat will be.

The problem is I go to a 24-hour small gym and weight train seven days a week at night into morning, when I am all alone and can hog the squat rack and both sides of the universal cable attachment machine (whatever that is called). I won't be able to get the scan until morning, then I go to bed. Of course, I eat during this time too. I also drink 2.5 gallons of water a day and a quart of skim milk (for the casein).

QUESTION: If I don't care about the bone density part of the DEXA scan, can I exercise; eat; and take my pre-, post-, and during workout concoctions as normal?

Thanks!

EDIT: The $200 professional Tanita multi-scan technology weight scale I have shows a varying 12.7%-13.7% body fat for a female athlete. (For the hell of it, I also enter male athlete on a regular basis, and it shows 5.0% body fat consistently.).

EDIT 2:
QUESTION 2: Also, should I cut before the scheduled scan? I have only been body building since August and probably still am gaining muscle mass.

If you’re curious and have the money to spare a qualified practitioner can do really good with a set of calipers.

I really have to stress qualified. This isn’t so much a test of how much fat you lost but more of where you’re losing it from.

There’s the Jackson/Pollock formula (7 site recommended) or the Parillo which is a 9 site. If you’re fortunate enough to have a biosignature practitioner nearby the poliquin 12 site would be desired.

This is calculated approach more common in people who make a living to that get paid for sport. It’s your money, if you want to seek this out why not go for it.

Originally Posted by mileena202

Wow! Thanks for the tip. It depends on how much it costs, but I don't want to spend that much. I'd rather invest in more supplements or a trainer, lol. But I will check the sites out.

Or just save your money or buy real food?

Originally Posted by mileena202

Supplements are mandatory according to Arnold in this bb video:

[his statement begins at 14:30]
youtube.com/watch?v=o9zCgPtsups

[I can't post links yet, put it is from this site's channel.]

Oh ****. Well if Arnold said it then it must be true 100% of the time for 100% of people.

Originally Posted by mileena202

Supplements are mandatory according to Arnold in this bb video:

[his statement begins at 14:30]
youtube.com/watch?v=o9zCgPtsups

[I can't post links yet, put it is from this site's channel.]

LOL... do you know what the word 'supplement' means?

Originally Posted by mileena202

Supplements are mandatory according to Arnold in this bb video:

[his statement begins at 14:30]
youtube.com/watch?v=o9zCgPtsups

[I can't post links yet, put it is from this site's channel.]

just no

Originally Posted by mileena202

Supplements are mandatory according to Arnold in this bb video:

[his statement begins at 14:30]
youtube.com/watch?v=o9zCgPtsups

[I can't post links yet, put it is from this site's channel.]

I haven’t used supplements sites like this sell or gnc regularly or relied on ever besides energy drinks

Originally Posted by ManwittaPlan

he states it best, there is a reason he is a winner in so many aspects of life.

and it has nothing to do with whey, preworkout or vitamins