Information is a powerful way to achieve any goal, and triathletes are notorious for collecting and comparing their training session data. But are you collecting the most important data? Triathlon Queensland partner, Body Plan offer an extensive range of health and fitness testing.
Tim Evans, the BodyPlan Exercise Physiology and Rehab Specialist highlights how even elite athletes are surprised at the level of information that they receive from a DEXA (Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) scan, metabolic tests and VO2 studies. "Most people come in to assess their body fat percentage, but they leave realising that they get so much more about preventative injury management and performance enhancement" Evans said.
The DEXA in particular has been useful in highlighting muscle imbalances that cannot be detected through standard testing. For example, a professional trainer for a large corporate organisation was tested on the BodyPlan DEXA and discovered he had the most significant muscle imbalances BodyPlan had seen in 2 years.
Louise Cato, Bodyplan’s Sports Dietitian also highlighted the importance for women with the DEXA Bone Mineral Densitometry scan. Female athletes have different nutritional requirements to men and as a result of not getting the balance right with food intake and training, athletes are well known for having issues around bone density in young ages. The BodyBus is able to offer both tests with the Body Composition test highlighting whether you may need further studies for bone health. Ironically many people are not concerned with this, 1 in 5 Australians are affected by poor bone health.
BodyPlan also highlights that all machines are not built equal. The focus on BIA (or standing body compositions) are not comparable to the gold standard level recognised for DEXA. More importantly, BodyPlan’s experience with different DEXA machines also highlights that not all machines are built equal and encourages those looking to go through testing, to seek it from a reputable source with experienced operators, and that those interpreting the results are suitably qualified.
The BodyBus offers a mobile service , but if you miss the “Bus”, BodyPlan’s clinic is located in Chermside where the weight calibration for their second machine is specifically calibrated to be identical to the machine in the mobile service. All these factors are important to ensure consistent reliable results.
If you want to learn more or if your club is interested in accessing the BodyBus, contact BodyPlan at (07) 3624 2711.
