Air displacement plethysmography can detect moderate changes in body composition

doi:doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602482

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2007) 61, 25–29. doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602482; published online 19 July 2006

Air displacement plethysmography can detect moderate changes in body composition

A Secchiutti^1,2, C Fagour^1,2, C Perlemoine^1,2, H Gin^1,2, J Durrieu^1,2 and V Rigalleau^1,2

¹Nutrition-Diabétologie, USN, Hopital Haut-Lévêque, Pessac, France
²Université Victor Segalen Bordeaux 2, 146, rue Léo Saignat, Bordeaux, France

Correspondence: Professor V Rigalleau, Nutrition-Diabétologie, USN, Hopital Haut-Lévêque, avenue de Magellan, 33600 Pessac, and Université Victor Segalen Bordeaux 2, 146, rue Léo Saignat, 33000 Bordeaux, France. E-mail: vincent.rigalleau@wanadoo.fr

Received 28 June 2005; Revised 8 May 2006; Accepted 22 May 2006; Published online 19 July 2006.

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Abstract

Objectives:

To determine the sensitivity of air displacement plethysmography (APD) for evaluation of changes in body composition in normal subjects.

Design:

Comparison of measurements with and without oil or water loads.

Subjects and methods:

Ten healthy volunteers were analyzed, without and with 1 l and 2 l of oil or water. The measured and true changes in fat mass and fat-free mass were compared by paired t-tests. A correlation study and a Bland & Altman procedure was performed on the 60 measurements of adiposity changes in 30 subjects carrying 0.5 l (n=8 $times$ 2), 1 l (n=10 $times$ 2) and 2 l (n=12 $times$ 2) oil and water loads.

Results:

Fat-free mass increased when the 10 subjects were carrying water. When they carried oil, fat mass increased, however, a $approx$ 0.5 kg increase of fat-free mass was also detected. Two liters loads led to distinct changes: +1.49 plusminus 0.59 kg fat and +0.500.60 kg fat-free with oil and +0.370.57 kg fat and +1.700.56 kg fat-free with water (both P<0.001). Mixed loads (+1 l oil and 1 l water) led to detect +0.850.48 kg fat and +1.090.45 kg fat-free (both P<0.005 vs without load). For the 30 subjects analyzed thrice, measured changes in fat and fat-free mass were slightly underestimated (-15%, NS) but correlated with the true changes. Measured changes in adiposity were correlated with the true changes, with no bias as indicated by the Bland & Altman procedure.

Conclusion:

APD detects $approx$ 2 kg changes in fat or fat-free mass in small populations.

Sponsorship:

This work was supported by a grant from the ALFEDIAM and the Institut de Recherche en Nutrition Humaine en Aquitaine.

Keywords:

body composition, air displacement plethysmography, adiposity, validation study

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Original Article