A DEXA Scan could be the Secret To Your Success in 2022!
DEXA stands for Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry and it measures the amount of bone, muscle and fat in your body. As endurance athletes we often focus on our body fat and muscular strength knowing that our power to weight ratios determine how fast we ride or run. Where many athletes get it wrong however is focusing only on body fat, and not the true predictor of performance, Lean Body Mass.
Lean Body Mass is made up of your muscles, tendons, ligaments, blood and pretty much anything that isn’t bone or fat. These are all things that we want to monitor and optimize so that we can perform our best! The old way of looking at things was simply to measure body fat, and if it was higher than desired, to diet our way down to weight. Unfortunately, what we know now is that can often lead to a loss of muscle and BONE! This leads to injuries and a weakened immune system, and that will not make you faster, guaranteed.
The DEXA scan takes about 7 minutes. In a medical setting, the test is often requested by doctors for those needing a bone density scan, so the technology has been around for a very long time.
Using it for performance purposes is a newer innovation, and it might be the ticket to your success in 2022!
In the past year, a few of my athletes and I went to the local Live Lean DEXA facility up in Milford, CT (learn more here and mention Clare Zecher Coaching to receive a discounted price on testing of $50). We received baseline tests, reviewed them with the technician, and as expected were all within or near healthy ranges, but there was room for improvement. Most people have a DEXA scan to determine how much weight they need to lose, and to learn how to eat less. However, for endurance athletes, we flip this on its head and learn our Lean Body Mass, and how to eat and train to optimize recovery and performance! I.E. We can get our baseline body fat and lean muscle mass, and then increase lean body mass, decrease body fat percentages and get faster.
Re-testing every 3-6 months gives us definitive answers to how well our training is working, but athletes report:
- Better sleep
- Faster recovery
- More focus in strength workouts
- Better energy for workouts
- Improved lean body mass as noticed by how their body shape changed
I reached out to Peter Fisher, one of the owners of LiveLeanRX and the DEXA scan franchise, and he agreed to let me provide a code to anyone that wants to get a DEXA scan or an RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) test for a reduced rate. (Note, I do not receive any compensation for passing through this discount.) With the discount, the DEXA scan is $50, and the RMR is $75. Many athletes choose to do both so they know both their Lean Body Mass, Fat Percentage and fat distribution in their body, as well as how many calories, at a minimum (vs. maximum) they need to eat every day.
If you’re interested in getting a scan and would like the discount codes, or if you would like to know more about how as an athlete knowing your lean body mass can improve your performance, then email me here.
Have an amazing New Year!
Coach Clare