December Dexa scan good news and bad news
Muscle mass, body composition, and bone mineral density are important for healthy aging.
Key takeaways
Diet + exercise can improve bone density, I share my results
If you struggle to build muscle like I do, follow along as I experiment with my routine to find out what works
Read on for the details.
Image from the DexaFit app
I got my first Dexa scan in March 2024, after watching the documentary ‘You Are What You Eat.’ Since then, I’ve added three new weights-focused classes to my fitness routine. These are Bar Method classes, I’m not lifting heavy weights, but the classes are challenging in ways I wasn’t working previously.
The effort I’m putting in is reflected both in how I feel during and after class (I’m tired!), as well as in my Whoop strain data.
All that to say, I expected to see positive results in fat and lean mass from the work I’ve been putting in.
What I got was bad news with a side note of good news.
It was 9 months after my first Dexa scan. Before sharing my results, the technician asked what I expected. I told him I expected to see an improvement. I expected my lean mass to have gone up and my fat mass to have gone down. At worst, I told him, I expected no change from the March scan.
Let’s start with the bad news.
My fat and lean mass results
My fat mass increased and my lean mass decreased. I’m writing this 3 months later and I’m still mad about it. 🤨
According to DexaFit, body fat at 29.5% is at the bottom end of “Fair.” Lean mass at 70 pounds “Needs Focus.”
December 3, 2024 Dexa scan results, fat mass
What is lean mass?
Lean mass refers to the non-fat components of the body, including muscle, organs, bones, and water.
December 3, 2024 Dexa scan results, lean mass
My visceral fat also went up, but at 0.34, it still scores as “Excellent.”
How many pounds of lean mass does DexaFit recommend for my size?
77 pounds
I find it almost laughable that this means gaining 7 pounds of muscle. It feels outside of the realm of possibility for this body I’m living in. But, this is the goal and I’ll work towards it.
Because quality of life is my why.
And my quality of life will suffer if I start falling in my 80s and 90s.
Why I like these measurements
It’s not about weight. Weight doesn’t tell us anything about fat or lean mass.
Bone density results
Here’s where I got a bit of good news. My bone density went up, from -0.6 to -0.5. At least this measurement was consistent with the work I’ve been putting in at class.
Does it make me feel better about the fat and lean mass results? Not really. 😉
T-score is the number that compares your bone density to the bone density of a healthy young adult.
My goal is to get to 0.
March 5, 2024 Dexa scan results, bone density T-score
December 3, 2024 Dexa scan results, bone density T-score
My plan to increase lean mass
I’m eating more, at different times.
Eat before workouts
Signals to my body it’s time to get to work
Consume more calories before 11am
Provide my body with the calories, macro and micronutrients it needs closer to the time of my workouts
Make beans a staple
Beans are high in protein and fiber, and low in fat
After getting the results from this recent scan, my technician at DexaFit recommended eating something before workouts. I like fasted workouts. Not because I heard they were good, but because gripping the muscles surrounding a stomach that’s digesting food doesn’t feel good. That’s part one.
Part two is: I don’t feel like eating first thing in the morning. 9:30 or 10am is typically when I start eating, and it’s usually fruit. This is the way I’ve been eating, not forever, but for years.
According to the registered dietitian interviewed in this article,
“…training too hard for too long while fasting is going to cause you to run out of gas or potentially start breaking down more muscle.”
Could that be me?!
Citing ‘experts’ I don’t follow regularly is not my preference, but this was the best I could find in a Google search. Switching up my routine by eating before workouts doesn’t have any potential for harm.
Here are the specifics of the new routine I’m experimenting with,
A banana before my 9:30am class. A banana may not be enough, but it’s where I’m starting.
Fruit + tofu or oats before my 10:30am classes.
Food before my 8:00am classes? I haven’t figured that out yet. Food at 7:30am? Unappealing. 🧐
Eating closer to the time class ends. I carry dry roasted soy beans in my bag.
There’s some related science in PubMed
“The timing of energy intake and the ratio of certain ingested macronutrients may enhance recovery and tissue repair, augment muscle protein synthesis, and improve mood states following high-volume or intense exercise.”
[source]
You may need a different plan
Your genetic makeup, your body structure, may enable you to build muscle simply by getting the exercise in, with no other changes to your diet or routine.
It’s hard
We all have our challenges.
Though my diet transitioned gradually over the years from no meat to no dairy to no fish, eating plants has never been a challenge. I’ve loved raw fruit and vegetables as far back as I can remember. My transition away from more processed foods was also gradual.
What is hard? Building muscle.
It doesn’t come naturally.
There are structural challenges that don’t change overnight. There are years of unbalanced moving patterns. There are muscle groups that don’t know what to do. The glutes aren’t gluting. The hamstrings aren’t hamming. The lats are hiding in the back. Adductors? Blank stare. I know at least one person reading this understands (hi, mom).
“If you have more ‘type two’ muscle fibers — also known as fast-twitch fibers — you'll be able to be more powerful and explosive and find it easier to build muscle,” according to this article.
23andMe tells me I don’t have those.
The internet says there may also be a correlation between wrist and ankle circumference and ability to build muscle, specifically larger wrist and ankle circumferences could indicate greater muscle building capacity.
If true, another signal increasing my lean mass is going to be far from easy breezy. 😉
What’s my point?
Some things come easily. Others take considerable effort. The effort’s worth it. The payoff will come. It may not be immediate. Keep going.
December 3, 2024 Dexa scan results, body score
I don’t resonate with “Fair.” 😋 Additional motivation to get back to a score of 90+.
Results and motivation
“There’s a positive correlation between results and sustained motivation. When you see positive results from your actions, it releases dopamine in the brain, creating a positive feedback loop that motivates you to continue.”
[source]
What’s your view on muscle mass, body composition, and healthy aging? Are you working on any of these?
Related reading
Relations between frame size and body composition and bone mineral status
Thanks for reading!
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Eat plants. 🥦 Hydrate.🚰 Move.🤸 Prioritize sleep. 🛌
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