Optimal Body Composition
Lithe, large and everything in between
With the help of MRI technology, we at Klarismo are on a mission to understand the composition of the human body better than anyone else. However, an accurate picture of how muscle and fat is distributed is only half the story — what everyone really wants to know is, what does the ideal body composition look like? As often, the answer depends on the individual and their focus on health, strength, performance or perhaps finding a middle ground.
The human body is one of the most adaptable machines in nature, at times capable of lifting several times its own bodyweight and at other times at deftly cartwheeling on a narrow beam. What makes the human body so flexible is how well it can adapt to certain dietary and training regimes. While world champion powerlifter Eddie Hall’s body composition is not optimal for scoring a perfect 10 on the balance beam, it performs extremely well in a powerlifting competition, as evidenced by his recent world record deadlift of 465 kg (1025 lbs). In the same vein, Romanian gymnast Nadia Comăneci’s lithe and lean body permitted her to become the first gymnast to score a perfect 10 at an Olympic gymnastics event.
While the body compositions of a super-heavyweight powerlifter and a female gymnast are drastically different, they are a result of the same guiding principles for optimizing their performance in their respective domains:
- The efficient expression of power
- Appropriate distribution of musculature
- Optimized overall body weight
In the case of the female gymnast, the efficient expression of power is tied closely to her overall body weight. This leads to the common physique we see in elite female athletes where strict calorie control (as seen in the infamous Russian Gymnast Diet) creates an impressively low body fat percentage.
The super-heavyweight powerlifter, on the other hand, efficiently expresses his power by simply increasing his overall power output without much regard for his power-to-weight ratio. This is facilitated by a diet of at least 10,000 calories per day in order to fuel his high energy training regimen and grow muscle fibers. The high number of calories inevitably leads to a high volume of adipose tissue (fat), both subcutaneous (beneath the skin) and visceral (inside the abdominal cavity). However, Eddie Hall’s impressive body weight actually creates a mechanical advantage for him when powerlifting as his own body acts as counterweight, allowing him to lift ever heavier loads.
Elite sports performance is not without its health risks. For example, many female gymnasts suffer from amenorrhea, osteoporosis or malnutrition, caused by excessive training and abnormal diets. Studies on the health benefits of resistance training are extensive, however there is also evidence that powerlifting along with its associated diet can lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The large midsections of powerlifters like Eddie Hall are associated with large visceral fat burdens, often leading to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease as well as insulin insensitivity and high blood pressure.
A Klarismo Fitness or Full Body scan is a great way to understand your body composition and evaluate how well it is suited for your own health and fitness goals. Since Klarismo uses medical grade MRI scans it is also the only way to accurately measure visceral fat deposits in your body.
