I think most runners, or really anyone who’s into fitness, are always looking to learn more about their bodies – “knowledge is power,” as the saying goes. So, when I was invited to have a DEXA scan done, I didn’t hesitate to say yes.

What is a DEXA Scan?

A DEXA (Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry) Scan measures bone, fat, and muscle in your body. The scan involves passing two very low dose x-ray beams at differing energy levels through the tissues of the body. The rays are absorbed differently by your body’s bone, fat, and muscle, allowing the scanner to measure your body composition.  In a matter of a few minutes, DEXA Scan not only measures both the percentage and distribution of your body fat and lean muscle, but also your bone weight and density.

The scan itself was so simple – just wear comfortable clothing with no metal (zippers, underwire, buckles) and lie still on the table for 7-8 minutes while the scanning arm passes over you and boom you’re done. Easy peasy. And, best of all the information from the scan is instantly available, so most of my visit was spent reviewing the results.

What did I learn?

I will admit going into the scan my one concern was what would be my visceral fat level. Since turning 50 I’ve developed a little belly that I’m none too fond of, and I wanted to make sure visceral fat wasn’t playing a starring role! I’m happy to say that while I do have a little visceral fat, it is far from the danger level and not around any of my key organs – relief!

Other things I learned:

• My bone density is seriously rock-solid – like almost off the chart! And, my 10-year probability for a hip fracture is just 0.1%.
• While my body fat % is in the “normal range” I’d like to see it a little lower.
• I’ve got some clear muscle imbalance with more mass on my right side (both arms and legs) than on my left. Given that muscle imbalance can lead to injury, this was just more of a reminder to be consistent with my strength training.

In reviewing the results it is clear that additional value comes from looking at the data trend over time – I’m planning to return in 6 months for another scan. By that time I’ll be in the thick of marathon training and will be really interested in seeing how both that training and the work leading up to that training cycle will have on my body composition.

Overall the DEXA scan provides a good deal of valuable information, and is a great tool to have as a runner/athlete focused on improving your muscle mass, or if you’re interested in losing weight, or just as another piece of the puzzle in your overall health.

I visited Cenegenics Elite Health in Boston for my scan. You can click here to find a location near you.

Have you ever had a body composition scan?

I’m linking up with Kim & Zenaida for Tuesday Topics.