DEXA:

You are more than the number on your scale! Discover how at the CHAMP Center with a DEXA scan, the gold-standard for determining body composition!

DEXA: What It Is

Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) is the gold-standard method for accurately assessing and analyzing full-body composition. It provides comprehensive, clinical-grade analysis that includes bone density, visceral fat quantification, and detailed segmental composition across each region of the body, metrics that are often misestimated or entirely missed by other methods. A DEXA scan reveals:

Body fat percentage (with a distinction between subcutaneous and visceral fat)
Lean body mass
Total body mass
Bone mineral density (BMD)
Regional measurements for both body mass and BMD (trunk, right/left limbs, android/gynoid regions,)

A DEXA scan typically takes about 5–10 minutes and is performed with the participant lying on their back comfortably on the scanning table. The scan is non-invasive, painless, and requires minimal movement, making it quick and easy to get accurate body composition, bone density, and visceral fat measurements.

At the CHAMP Center, we use the Horizon® DXA system from Hologic, a platform trusted by leading research centers (including the Applied Science and Performance Institute), sports performance programs, and healthcare facilities worldwide. By testing with the CHAMP Center, you gain access to professional-grade equipment, including our state-of-the-art DEXA scanner, ensuring that your results are accurate, reliable, and top-of-the-line.

DEXA: Why It's Important

The Bigger Picture

A single number on the scale doesn’t tell the whole story. A DEXA scan helps you understand not just how much you weigh, but what your body is made of, which is essential for BOTH health and performance.

With DEXA scan results, you can tailor your training plans to your body’s actual needs. You’ll know whether to focus on:

Building lean mass
Reducing visceral fat
Supporting bone density
Addressing left/right limb imbalances or regional weaknesses
Or some combination of the above!

This level of specificity allows you to design training and lifestyle changes that are effective, personalized, and aligned with your goals.

Additionally, pairing a DEXA scan with a Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) test (available at the CHAMP Center) provides the ideal foundation for designing a comprehensive and sustainable nutrition program along with your training plan!

DEXA: Who Should Do It

A DEXA scan is ideal for anyone who wants accurate, actionable insight into body composition and long-term health. This includes:

Body recomposition focused: See exactly where changes come from (fat vs. muscle) so you know what’s working in your training & nutrition programs.
Monitoring visceral fat: Track deep belly fat, which drives metabolic and cardiovascular risk.
Prioritizing bone density: Assess and monitor bone health long before osteoporosis risk increases.
Athletes or highly active individuals: Track muscle development, recovery, symmetry, and performance changes over time.
Focused on longevity: Understand the markers that matter with age: muscle mass, fat distribution, and bone strength.
Tracking women’s health across life stages: Particularly useful during perimenopause and post-menopause, when hormonal shifts affect body composition, bone density, and strength.

DEXA: Interpreting Results

Here’s what your results will reveal and what each metric means:

1. Fat Free Mass (Water, Muscle, Organs & BMD)

Fat free mass includes water, muscle, organs and bone (anything that is not fat). Tracking fat free mass changes over time is key for understanding strength development, performance, and healthy aging.

2. Body Fat Percentage & Mass

Shows your total body fat and how it’s distributed. This helps determine whether you’re in a healthy range and whether your training or nutrition plan is moving you in the right direction.

Average* ranges for healthy adults are:

Men: 18–24%
Women: 25–31%

*Average ranges vary based on age, activity level, ethnicity, and health status

3. Fat Mass Index (FMI)

Fat Mass Index (FMI) is similar to Body Mass Index (BMI) in that it provides a value relative to height to estimate overweight/obesity risk. However, FMI is a better predictor of health risk, because it focuses specifically on fat mass, not just total body weight.

Example: Two females are both 75 kg and 64" (1.63 m) tall. Calculating for just BMI would classify both as overweight (BMI: 28.2 kg/m²), but if we take into account Fat mass:

Female A: Fat mass = 23 kg → 8.7 kg/m²

Female B: Fat mass = 35 kg → 13.2 kg/m²

Then only Female B would be considered overweight.

Normal ranges you want your FMI to fall between for men and women are listed below:

Men: 3-6 kg/m²

Women: 5-9 kg/m²

4. Visceral Fat

Visceral fat is deep abdominal fat surrounding internal organs and is a key marker of metabolic and cardiovascular risk. You will get several Visceral Fat (VAT) measurements during your DEXA scan: VAT Mass (g), VAT Volume (cm³), and VAT Area (cm²).

When interpreting your results, we ideally want to see a VAT Area of <100 cm²

*Average ranges vary based on age, activity level, ethnicity, and health status.

5. Bone Mineral Density (BMD)

Provides insight into bone strength and long-term skeletal health. This is especially important for women, athletes, adults 35+, and anyone with a family history of osteoporosis.

A T‑score of –1.0 or higher is considered normal.
A T‑score between –1.0 and –2.5 indicates low bone mass (osteopenia risk).
A T‑score of –2.5 or lower falls within the osteoporosis range.

Note: official osteopenia and osteoporosis diagnosis can only be made by a qualified physician.

6. Regional Analysis

Breaks down fat, muscle, and bone in specific body regions (arms, legs, trunk). This helps identify imbalances, asymmetries, or areas that may need targeted training or rehabilitation.