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Validity and reliability of the BOD POD® S/T tracking system.
W Tseh1, J L Caputo, D J Keefer
1Health and Applied Human Sciences, University of North Carolina Wilmington, 28403-5956, United States. tsehw@uncw.edu
International Journal of Sports Medicine
|July 10, 2010
Summary
The BOD POD(®) self-testing body composition system is reliable but overestimates body fat percentage. Further research is needed to develop a correction factor for accurate health and fitness assessments.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Human Biology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- The BOD POD(®) self-testing (S/T) system is a tool for body composition tracking in health and fitness.
- Limited research exists on the BOD POD(®) S/T compared to its predecessor.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate the BOD POD(®) S/T against hydrostatic weighing and 7-site skinfolds.
- To assess the within-day and between-day reliability of the BOD POD(®) S/T.
Main Methods:
- Fifty volunteers underwent body composition assessments using 7-site skinfolds, BOD POD(®) S/T, and hydrostatic weighing.
- Testing was conducted on two separate visits after an accommodation period.
Main Results:
- The BOD POD(®) S/T significantly overestimated body fat percentage (%BF) compared to hydrostatic weighing and skinfolds.
- No statistical difference was found between hydrostatic weighing and 7-site skinfolds.
- High reliability was observed for the BOD POD(®) S/T within-day and between-days.
Conclusions:
- The BOD POD(®) S/T demonstrates high reliability for body composition tracking.
- The system's tendency to overestimate %BF necessitates further investigation for potential correction factors.
