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Tatyana · 06-05-2006, 10:32 PM

Age makes a difference on the skinfold calculations because the reference population for the charts were sedentary, non-exercising people who lost muscle mass as they aged. The researchers found that an older person with, say, 80mm total skinfolds would have a higher percentage of fat than a twenty-year-old with 80mm at the same bodyweight, because the older person had less lean mass, and probably more intramuscular and visceral fat. (The charts are all derived from hydrostatic weighing, a range of body measurements and some calculations.)

As far as I know there are no norm charts for people who weight train, and therefore may have gained lean mass over the years. I know I definitely have more muscle at 44 than I had at 24, but even with my current lower skinfolds the norm charts will say I've a higher percentage of fat than I had then...

At the Y we used a general rule of subtracting 7% from the chart's figure for a trained woman and 8% for a trained man, or you can just use the standard non-age-adjusted figure. It's not going to be as accurate as an MRI scan, but it's more accurate than a chart for the sedentary!

The main thing is to look at your skinfold totals week by week - if they're going down, you're shedding fat.

06-05-2006, 10:32 PM	#10 (permalink)
Tatyana My name is EARL Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: On my bloody bike doing cardio Posts: 3,477	Post from Crow on Jon Harris Natty Forum Age makes a difference on the skinfold calculations because the reference population for the charts were sedentary, non-exercising people who lost muscle mass as they aged. The researchers found that an older person with, say, 80mm total skinfolds would have a higher percentage of fat than a twenty-year-old with 80mm at the same bodyweight, because the older person had less lean mass, and probably more intramuscular and visceral fat. (The charts are all derived from hydrostatic weighing, a range of body measurements and some calculations.) As far as I know there are no norm charts for people who weight train, and therefore may have gained lean mass over the years. I know I definitely have more muscle at 44 than I had at 24, but even with my current lower skinfolds the norm charts will say I've a higher percentage of fat than I had then... At the Y we used a general rule of subtracting 7% from the chart's figure for a trained woman and 8% for a trained man, or you can just use the standard non-age-adjusted figure. It's not going to be as accurate as an MRI scan, but it's more accurate than a chart for the sedentary! The main thing is to look at your skinfold totals week by week - if they're going down, you're shedding fat.