Beurer BF 18 - Manual (Page 12)

12
Muscle percentage
The muscle percentage is normally within the following ranges:
Man Woman
Age low normal high
10 -14 <44% 44 - 57 % >57 %
15 -19 <43% 43 - 56 % >56 %
20 - 29 <42% 42 - 54 % >54 %
30 - 39 <41% 41- 52 % >52 %
40 - 49 <40% 40 - 50 % >50 %
50 - 59 <39% 39 - 48 % >48 %
60 - 69 <38% 38 - 47 % >47 %
70 -100 <37% 37- 46 % >46 %
Age low normal high
10-14 <36% 36 - 43 % >43 %
15-19 <35% 35 - 41 % >41 %
20-29 <34% 34 - 39 % >39 %
30-39 <33% 33 - 38 % >38 %
40-49 <31% 31- 36 % >36 %
50-59 <29% 29 - 34 % >34 %
60-69 <28% 28 - 33 % >33 %
70-100 <27% 27- 32 % >32 %
Bone mass
Like the rest of our body, our bones are subject to the natural development, degeneration and ageing
processes. Bone mass increases rapidly in childhood and reaches its maximum between 30 and 40 ye-
ars of age. Bone mass reduces slightly with increasing age. You can reduce this degeneration somewhat
with healthy nutrition (particularly calcium and vitamin D) and regular exercise. With appropriate muscle
building, you can also strengthen your bone structure.
Note that this scale will not show you the calcium content of your bones, but will measure the weight of all
bone constituents (organic substances, inorganic substances and water).
Attention: Please do not confuse bone mass with bone density. Bone density can be determined only by
means of a medical examination (e.g. computer tomography, ultrasound). It is therefore not possible to
draw conclusions concerning changes to the bones and bone hardness (e.g. osteoporosis) using this scale.
Little influence can be exerted on bone mass, but it will vary slightly within the influencing factors (weight,
height, age, gender).
Results in relation to time
Note that it is only the long-term trend which counts. Short period fluctuations in weight over a few days
are mostly the result of a loss of fluid.
The interpretation of the results will depend on changes in your: overall weight and body fat, body water
and muscle percentages, as well as on the period during which these changes take place. Rapid changes
within days must be distinguished from medium term changes (over weeks) and long term changes
(months).
A basic rule is that short term changes in weight almost exclusively represent changes in water content,
whereas medium and long term changes may also involve the fat and muscle percentages.
• If your weight reduces over the short term, but your body fat percentage increases or remains the same,
you have merely lost water – e.g. after a training session, sauna session or a diet restricted only to rapid
weight loss.
• If your weight increases over the medium term and the body fat percentage falls or stays the same, then
you could have built up valuable muscle mass.
If your weight and body fat percentage fall simultaneously then your diet is working – you are losing fat
mass. Ideally you should support your diet with physical activity, fitness or power training. By this means,
you can increase your muscle percentage over the medium term.