Fat Free Mass is total body weight, minus fat mass and relates to all body mass that is not fat. This includes the components water, bone, skin and internal organs.
In body composition, the human body can be separated into two basic groups: fat mass (FM) and fat free mass (FFM). The FFM component group is comprised of body cell mass, skeletal muscle mass, total body water, organs, skin, and bone mineral mass. The FM component group is comprised of all types of body fat.
Males will typically reach peak FFM in their mid-thirties after which time FFM will gradually declines as they age.
Females have a more consistent level until their fifties, after which it will also gradually decline with age.
Overall, after age 30, the average person will begin to lose between 3% to 8% of muscle mass every ten years which through sarcopenia.
Fat Free Mass has been linked with protecting against mortality, as decreases are associated with an increased risk of falling and a decreased quality of life.
Humans experience a consistent decline in FFM and an increase in FM through aging. These changes increase the risk of several serious medical conditions including cardiovascular disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.
A higher fat-free body mass means a higher metabolism. Muscles require energy from calories even when sleeping, but fat cells do not. The more muscle the body has the more calories it must burn.
Consistent physical exercise, especially weight-training, will slow the loss of muscle through aging. Resistance training will help to increase muscle size. You can achieve this by implementing a strength training programme to build muscle and improve strength.
Studies show that to maintain Fat Free Mass during a weight loss programme, attention must be paid to both diet and exercise. Eating sufficient amounts of protein, whilst remaining in a calorie deficit and including regular exercise will help to achieve this goal. This is because sufficient protein intake aids with muscle building and meal satiation (the feeling of fullness for longer), due to the amount of time it takes for the body to digest protein.
If you have any questions, please seek advice from a medical or fitness professional where you use boditrax, or get in touch with boditrax anytime via support@boditrax.com
Stubbs, R. J., Hopkins, M., Finlayson, G. S., Duarte, C., Gibbons, C., & Blundell, J. E. (2018). Potential effects of fat mass and fat-free mass on energy intake in different states of energy balance. European journal of clinical nutrition, 72(5), 698-709.
Kyle, U. G., Schutz, Y., Dupertuis, Y. M., & Pichard, C. (2003). Body composition interpretation: contributions of the fat-free mass index and the body fat mass index. Nutrition, 19(7-8), 597-604.
