Advances in the application of imaging methods in applied and clinical physiology

Application of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) represents one of the most important advances in the history of human body composition research. Independently, these methods have been used to significantly advance our understanding of the complex relationships between human body composition and disease. They are the methods of choice for calibration of field methods designed to measure adipose tissue and skeletal muscle in vivo, and are the only procedures available for measurement of internal tissues and organs. More recently, both methods have been employed to measure the quality of various tissues including skeletal muscle and hepatic tissue. These recent advances in the use of CT and MRI in body composition research are discussed with a focus on clinical applications.