Determination of intracellular water by multifrequency bioelectrical impedance

Body composition was measured in 57 healthy males by 40K measurements and by multifrequency bioelectrical impedance. Intracellular resistance (Ricf) was calculated from the impedance values using the Cole-Cole model. From total body potassium, intracellular water (ICW) was calculated. In addition, in 14 subjects, total body water (TBW) and extracellular water (ECW) was measured using deuterium oxide dilution and bromide dilution, respectively. Prediction formulas from the literature from impedance at different frequencies were used to predict TBW and ECW, and ICW was calculated as the difference of predicted TBW and ECW. Predicted and measured values of TBW, ECW and ICW did not always show the same values as measured. Generally the ICW from potassium was well correlated with calculated ICW from impedance values, correlation coefficients varying from 0.68 to 0.79, depending on the used prediction formula. From the impedance index H2/Ricf, body weight and age, ICW from potassium was predicted with stepwise multiple regression. The prediction formula was ICW = 0.37065.H2/Ricf - 0.132.age + 0.105.weight + 12.2. The prediction error was 1.9 kg and the explained variance 0.69. The residuals of this prediction formula were dependent on the level of ICW as measured by potassium. The same phenomenon was observed when ICW was calculated as the difference of predicted TBW and ECW. The results show that multifrequency impedance is able to predict ICW, however, the prediction is influenced by body water distribution.