Validity and Reliability of the BOD POD^® S/T Tracking System

Abstract

BOD POD^® self-testing (S/T) body composition tracking system is a practical assessment tool designed for use in the health and fitness industries. Relative to its parent counterpart, the BOD POD^® S/T has received little research attention. The primary purpose was to determine the validity of the BOD POD^® S/T against hydrostatic weighing and 7-site skinfolds. Secondary aim was to determine the within-day and between-day reliability of the BOD POD^® S/T. After a period of equipment and testing accommodation, volunteer's (N=50) body composition (%BF) via 7-site skinfolds, BOD POD^® S/T, and hydrostatic weighing were obtained on the second and third visits. BOD POD^® S/T significantly overestimated %BF when compared to hydrostatic weighing and 7-site skinfolds. There was no statistical difference between 7-site skinfolds and hydrostatic weighing values. BOD POD^® S/T reliability within-day and between-days were high. While the BOD POD^® S/T body composition tracking system is deemed reliable both within-day and between-days, it did significantly overestimate %BF in comparison to hydrostatic weighing and skinfolds. Future research should be aimed at deriving a correction factor for this body composition assessment tool.

Key words

percent body fat - overestimation - bod pod

References

• 1 ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription .Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2007
• 2 Claros G, Hull HR, Fields DA. Comparison of air displacement plethysmography to hydrostatic weighing for estimating total body density in children.  BMC Pediatr. 2005;  5 37-45
• 3 Collins MA, Millard-Stafford ML, Evans EM, Snow TK, Rosskopf LB, Cureton KJ. Validation of air displacement plethysmography for examining body fat in young adults.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1998;  30 S146
• 4 Collins MA, Millard-Stafford ML, Sparling PB, Snow TK, Rosskopf LB, Webb SA, Omer J. Evaluation of the BOD POD for assessing body fat in collegiate football players.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1999;  31 1350-1356
• 5 Collins AL, Saunders S, Mccarthy HD, Williams JE, Fuller NJ. Within- and between-laboratory precision in the measurement of body volume using air displacement plethysmography and its effect on body composition assessment.  Int J Obes Metab Disord. 2004;  28 80-90
• 6 Demerath EW, Guo SS, Chumlea WC, Towne B, Roche AF, Siervogel RM. Comparison of percent body fat estimates using air displacement plethysmography and hydrodensitometry in adults and children.  Int J Relat Metab Disord. 2002;  26 389-397
• 7 Dempster P, Aitkens S. A new air displacement method for the determination of human body composition.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1995;  27 1692-1697
• 8 Dixon CB, Deitrick RW, Pierce PT, Cutrufello PT, Drapeau LL. Evaluation of the BOD POD and leg-to-leg bioelectrical impedance analysis for estimating percent body fat in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III collegiate wrestlers.  J Strength Cond Res. 2005;  19 85-91
• 9 Fields DA, Higgins PB, Hunter GR. Assessment of body composition by air-displacement plethysmography: influence of body temperature and moisture.  Dyn Med. 2004;  3 3-9
• 10 Fields DA, Hunter GR, Goran MI. Validation of the BOD POD with hydrostatic weighing: influence of body clothing.  Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2000;  24 200-205
• 11 Ginde SR, Geliebter A, Rubiano F, Silva AM, Wang J, Heshka S, Heymsfield SB. Air displacement plethysmography: validation in overweight and obese subjects.  Obes Res. 2005;  13 1232-1237
• 12 Harriss DJ, Atkinson G. International Journal of Sports Medicine – Ethical Standards in Sport and Exercise Science Research.  Int J Sports Med. 2009;  30 701-702
• 13 Higgins PB, Fields DA, Hunter GR, Gower BA. Effect of scalp and facial hair on air displacement plethysmography estimates of percentage body fat.  Obes Res. 2001;  9 326-330
• 14 Levenhagen DK, Borel MJ, Welch DC, Piasecki JH, Piasecki DP, Chen KY, Flakoll PJ. A comparison of air displacement plethysmography with 3 other techniques to determine body fat in healthy adults.  J Parent Ent Nut. 1999;  23 293-299
• 15 Mccrory MA, Gomez TD, Bernauer EM, Mole PA. Evaluation of a new air displacement plethysmography for measuring human body composition.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1995;  27 1686-1691
• 16 Miyatake N, Nonaka K, Fujii M. A new air displacement plethysmography for the determination of Japanese body composition.  Diab Obes Metab. 1999;  1 347-351
• 17 Powers SK, Howley ET. Exercise Physiology: Theory and Application to Fitness and Performance. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Companies; 2009
• 18 Thomas R, Nelson J. Research Methods in Physical Activity. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics; 1996
• 19 Utter AC, Goss FL, Swan PD, Harris GS, Robertson RJ, Trone GA. Evaluation of air displacement for assessing body composition of collegiate wrestlers.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2003;  35 500-505
• 20 Vescovi JD, Hildebrandt L, Miller WC, Hammer RL, Spiller A. Evaluation of the BOD POD for estimating percent fat in female college athletes.  J Strength Cond Res. 2002;  16 599-605
• 21 Vescovi JD, Zimmerman SL, Miller WC, Hildebrandt L, Hammer RL, Fernhall B. Evaluation of the BOD POD for estimating percentage body fat in a heterogeneous group of adult humans.  Eur J Appl Physiol. 2001;  85 326-332
• 22 Wagner DR, Heyward VH, Gibson AL. Validation of air displacement plethysmography for assessing body composition.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2000;  32 1339-1344
• 23 Yee A, Kern M. Validation of the BOD POD: method for estimating percent body fat in an elderly population.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1998;  30 S146

Correspondence