Aging in women--the four-compartment model of body composition

The four-compartment model of body composition was examined in 155 white women through measurement of total body carbon (TBC), nitrogen (TBN), calcium (TBCa), and water levels. The age (mean +/- SD) of the population was 51.4 +/- 13.5 years, and values for the four compartments were as follows (in kilograms): protein 8.9 +/- 1.0, water 30.9 +/- 3.5, mineral 2.6 +/- 0.4, and fat 22.6 +/- 7.3. There was a linear change with age for protein and water, whereas mineral and fat were curvilinear. These latter two compartments also showed differences in premenopausal and postmenopausal rates of change. Various models were fit to the data to adjust for body size and age. Each of the four compartments (mineral, water, fat, and protein) changed with age, with fat increasing and the other compartments declining. The equation, y = age + age2 + height + weight, fit the data as well as the other models. Equations are provided to assess body composition in populations with disorders of nutrition, as well as other illnesses, using height, weight, and age as covariates. Since this was a cross-sectional study, longitudinal studies will have to be performed to confirm the accuracy of rates of change with age predicted with each compartment.