Calipometry

Caliper pliers

Skin fold thickness meter (Skinfold caliper) for determining the percentage of body fat

The Calipometrie (also Kalipermetrie ) is a method for the approximate determination of body fat by measuring the thickness of certain skin wrinkles.

Measurement

The thickness of the subcutaneous fat is measured at certain points on the body . A fold of the body about five to seven centimeters in size is grasped with the thumb and forefinger and measured with the help of a skin fold measuring device (also called caliper forceps or caliper). If the pressure measuring aid clicks into place, the measured value can be read or transmitted to a corresponding app via Bluetooth. It is a good idea to measure each fold in triplicate and calculate the mean. The forceps-like device should be calibrated to a measurement pressure of 10 g / square millimeter, which is exerted by a corresponding spring construction regardless of the forceps opening or the thickness of the skin folds. There are methods of determination from two to ten measuring points. From the sum of these measuring points, the percentage body fat content is determined using appropriate tables. It is possibly problematic that the pure subcutaneous fat does not allow a statement to be made about the total body fat. However, the fact that fatty tissue is mainly found under the skin speaks for the method.

For a rough assessment, measurements at four measuring points are generally accepted as representative:

1. Above the triceps brachii muscle on the hanging arm in the middle between the tip of the acromion and the tip of the olecranon
2. Directly above the tip of the lower shoulder blade while standing
3. Standing over the iliac crest in the axillary line
4. above the biceps with the upper arm bent in a relaxed manner

This measurement method is only an approximation, but in practice the individual fat percentage can be determined with sufficient and reproducible accuracy.

Calculation methods

Sizes used

Formula symbol	size
${\displaystyle F}$	Body fat percentage
${\displaystyle a}$	Age in years
${\displaystyle m}$	Weight in kg
${\displaystyle d}$	Wrinkle thickness in mm
${\displaystyle S}$	Sum of the fold thicknesses of all measuring points in mm
${\displaystyle k_{i}}$	Coefficients

	3-fold formula according to Jackson & Pollock		3-fold formula according to Lohmann	7-fold formula according to Jackson & Pollock		4-fold formula according to the National Health Center of America (NHCA)	9-fold formula according to Parillo
	man	woman		man	woman
${\displaystyle F}$	${\displaystyle [(4,95/(k_{0}-(k_{1}*S)+(k_{2}*S^{2})-(k_{a}*a)))-4,5]*100}$					${\displaystyle k_{0}+k_{1}\cdot S+k_{2}\cdot S^{2}+k_{\mathrm {a} }\cdot a}$	${\displaystyle k_{0}\cdot {\frac {S}{m}}}$
${\displaystyle S}$	${\displaystyle d_{\mathrm {Brust} }}$ ${\displaystyle +d_{\mathrm {Bauch} }}$ ${\displaystyle +d_{\mathrm {Oberschenkel} }}$	${\displaystyle d_{\mathrm {Trizeps} }}$ ${\displaystyle +d_{\mathrm {Bauch} }}$ ${\displaystyle +d_{\mathrm {H{\ddot {u}}fte} }}$	${\displaystyle d_{\mathrm {Schulterblatt} }}$ ${\displaystyle +d_{\mathrm {Trizeps} }}$ ${\displaystyle +d_{\mathrm {Bauch} }}$	${\displaystyle d_{\mathrm {Brust} }}$ ${\displaystyle +d_{\mathrm {Schulterblatt} }}$ ${\displaystyle +d_{\mathrm {Achsel} }}$ ${\displaystyle +d_{\mathrm {Trizeps} }}$ ${\displaystyle +d_{\mathrm {Bauch} }}$ ${\displaystyle +d_{\mathrm {H{\ddot {u}}fte} }}$ ${\displaystyle +d_{\mathrm {Oberschenkel} }}$		${\displaystyle d_{\mathrm {Schulter} }}$ ${\displaystyle +d_{\mathrm {Brust} }}$ ${\displaystyle +d_{\mathrm {Achsel} }}$ ${\displaystyle +d_{\mathrm {Bauch} }}$	${\displaystyle d_{\mathrm {Brust} }}$ ${\displaystyle +d_{\mathrm {Schulterblatt} }}$ ${\displaystyle +d_{\mathrm {Bizeps} }}$ ${\displaystyle +d_{\mathrm {Trizeps} }}$ ${\displaystyle +d_{\mathrm {Bauch} }}$ ${\displaystyle +d_{\mathrm {H{\ddot {u}}fte} }}$ ${\displaystyle +d_{\mathrm {Oberschenkel} }}$ ${\displaystyle +d_{\mathrm {Wade} }}$ ${\displaystyle +d_{\mathrm {Unterer\ R{\ddot {u}}cken} }}$
${\displaystyle k_{0}}$	${\displaystyle 1{,}10938}$	${\displaystyle 1{,}0994921}$	${\displaystyle 1{,}0982}$	${\displaystyle 1{,}112}$	${\displaystyle 1{,}097}$	${\displaystyle -3{,}28791}$	${\displaystyle 12{,}258}$
${\displaystyle k_{1}}$	${\displaystyle 0{,}0008267}$	${\displaystyle 0{,}0009929}$	${\displaystyle 815\cdot 10^{-6}}$	${\displaystyle 434{,}99\cdot 10^{-6}}$	${\displaystyle 469{,}71\cdot 10^{-6}}$	${\displaystyle 277{,}84\cdot 10^{-3}}$
${\displaystyle k_{2}}$	${\displaystyle 0{,}0000016}$	${\displaystyle 0{,}0000023}$	${\displaystyle 8{,}4\cdot 10^{-7}}$	${\displaystyle 0{,}55\cdot 10^{-6}}$	${\displaystyle 0{,}56\cdot 10^{-6}}$	${\displaystyle -0{,}53\cdot 10^{-3}}$
${\displaystyle k_{\mathrm {a} }}$	${\displaystyle 0{,}0002574}$	${\displaystyle 0{,}0001392}$	${\displaystyle 0}$	${\displaystyle 288{,}26\cdot 10^{-6}}$	${\displaystyle 128{,}28\cdot 10^{-6}}$	${\displaystyle 124{,}37\cdot 10^{-3}}$

See also

• Bioelectrical impedance analysis

swell

• Karl-Hans Arndt (ed.): Sports medicine in medical practice. Verlag JA Barth Heidelberg-Leipzig 1998, ISBN 3-335-00542-2

1. ↑ Meg Campbell: Body Fat Percentage Test Using Jackson-Pollock Formula . In: LIVESTRONG.COM . ( livestrong.com [accessed August 31, 2017]).
2. ↑ Jackson, Pollock: Generalized equations for predicting body density of women . In: British Journal of Nutrition . No. 40 , October 1978, p. 497-504 (English).
3. ↑ TG Lohman: skinfolds and body density and Their relation to body fatness: a review . In: Human Biology . May 1981, p. 181-255 (English).
4. ^ J. Parrillo, M. Greenwood-Robinson: High-performance bodybuilding. Berkeley Publishing group, New York 1993, pp. 169-172 (English).
5. ↑ Jackson, Pollock: Generalized equations for predicting body density of men . In: British Journal of Nutrition . No. 40 , October 1978, p. 497-504 (English).
6. ↑ Jackson, Pollock, Ward: Generalized equations for predicting body density of women . In: Medicin and Science in Sports and Exercise . No. 12 (3) , 1980, pp. 175-182 (English).