What do the body composition metrics in a Styku scan mean?
What do the body composition metrics in a Styku scan mean?
Overview
Body composition refers to what the body is made of: primarily fat, muscle, and bone. Styku's validated algorithms assess both total-body and segmental composition. These metrics go beyond BMI by directly measuring fat distribution and muscle development.
Metrics and Target Ranges
Body Fat Percentage
Measures the percentage of total body weight that is fat mass.
- Validated against the DEXA Hologic gold standard (correlation of 0.95+ with DEXA for fat mass; within 1–2% of DEXA).
- Healthy targets: Men under 28% | Women under 40%
- Exceeding these limits—especially fat concentrated around the midsection—is associated with significantly increased disease risk.
Lean Mass Percentage
Everything in the body that is not fat, including muscle and organs. Muscle has the greatest impact on this metric because it can grow or shrink, while organ size stays relatively constant.
- Healthy targets: Men over 72% | Women over 60%
- Higher lean mass correlates with a faster metabolism and better functional performance with age.
Appendicular Lean Soft Tissue Index (ALSTI)
Measures the muscle mass specifically located in the arms and legs, relative to height. Tracks functional muscle needed for strength and mobility. Algorithms were developed and validated by university researchers against gold standards.
- Healthy targets: Men over 7.0 | Women over 5.5
Visceral Fat Area
Estimates the area of fat stored deep within the abdominal cavity, surrounding internal organs. Algorithm was developed and validated by university scientific researchers.
- Healthy target: Under 100 cm²
- Exceeding 100 cm² is associated with serious chronic disease risk.
Notes
- Body composition is not the same as BMI. BMI only uses height and weight; body composition directly assesses fat distribution and muscle development.
- When tracking progress, look for lean metrics increasing and fat metrics decreasing as signs that body composition is moving in the right direction.
- Each metric displays a red, yellow, or green tag as a quick health indicator.
If this resolves your issue, no further action is needed.
If the problem persists, contact support and include: the client's scan date, scan ID, and the specific metric displaying unexpected values.
Applies to: All Styku configurations.
Related Resources
- What measurements and body data does Styku software display after a scan?
- What are the 21 circumference measurements in the Styku summary report?
- What are the anthropometric and ratio metrics in a Styku scan?
- What are the Styku Basic and Phoenix body composition models, and which should I use?