DEXA Body Composition Scan for Athletic Performance

The body scan with the DXA system, helps inform individualized training and nutritional programs for athletes.

Measure Muscle, Fat & Bone Mass

The Advanced Body Composition report provides a color mapping of bone, fat and lean mass that can be used to show athletes exactly where they are losing fat and gaining muscle over time.

Ultimately, data from the DEXA scan can provide a more accurate and precise way to prescribe and track athletic training and nutrition plans.

With the scan data, athletic programs, physical trainers and coaches can:

Provide guidance on how best to avoid new or repetitive injuries before they happen.
Track progress of previous injuries and surgeries to understand if the athlete is losing or retaining muscle during the rehab process.
Assist with the development of symmetrical muscle developments for athletes of all sports.
Optimize performance by adjusting nutritional and training regimens.

Advanced Body Composition Assessment in Kelowna

Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DEXA / DXA) is widely regarded as one of the most proven and reliable technologies for measuring body composition.The scan provides detailed measurements of the body by looking at bone density, lean mass and fat mass.

Defining Training Programs

The information generated from the scan is critical for accurately assessing the state of a patient or athlete’s health and defining successful treatment plans and training programs.

Muscle Asymmetries

As well as using a DEXA Scan for basic body fat measurement, athletes often use the scan to pick up muscle asymmetries between their left and right sides. These asymmetries throw weight distribution off, cause muscle miscoordination, and create unnatural stresses that lead to injury.

Complete Assessment

This scan offers a more complete and accurate assessment compared to one-dimensional anthropometric exams like body mass index (BMI), bioimpedance, bod-pod measurements, and hydrostatic weighing.

DEXA Scan For Training

Fitness enthusiasts, athletes, and dieters often use body composition scans to get a baseline of where they are now, and to objectively measure their progress.

Measure Effectiveness of Training

Multiple body composition measurements can help understand how training is affecting the body.

The effect of nutritional changes, such as a diet, can be observed via changes in body fat and lean mass distribution.
Nutritional strategies can be developed to help athletes meet their goals of weight loss, and maintaining or gaining muscle.
A good way to measure effects of a new exercise program is by observing the changes in lean tissue and fat throughout the body.

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Motivation

Athletes are competitive by nature, and body composition can help motivate them to follow a healthy diet and exercise regimen.

Athletes can keep tabs on their own progress and see how they stack up against other competitors.
Any individual interested in remaining in peak physical condition for better longevity can be motivated by positive changes in the data.
With information from a DXA scan, a baseline can be created. Comparing lean and fat mass distribution to elite athletes in the same sport or position, can allow the design of a specific program that will help reach goals more optimally.

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Tailor Your Training To Your Sport

A DXA scan for athletes can be tailored to a specific sport in order to provide sport-specific information that can aid in injury prevention and performance optimization.

A DXA scan may focus on assessing the density of bones in the arms, legs, and spine, in athletes, especially those participating in sports that place high demands on the skeleton, such as gymnastics, distance running, and weightlifting.
By tailoring the scan to a specific sport, the results can be used to make more targeted and effective injury prevention and recovery decisions.
The interpretation of body composition results can also vary depending on the sport, as some sports may place a higher emphasis on lean tissue mass while others may focus more on overall body mass and fat content.

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Assessing Injury Prevention and Recovery

The detailed results from a DEXA scan allows sports trainers to review information about each athlete and provide guidance on how best to avoid future or repeat injuries before they happen.

Track progress of previous injuries and surgeries to understand if the athlete is losing or retaining muscle during the rehab process.
Assist with the development of symmetrical muscle developments for athletes of all sports.
Can help determine if an athlete has a higher risk of stress fractures due to low bone density or muscle imbalance that could lead to injury.

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Am I Overweight?

Are you in the healthy range? Use this tool to calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI) now to know your risk for obesity-related diseases.

How Healthy Are My Bones?

Take the 1-minute quiz to determine your risk for developing osteoporosis.

DexaCan Plan Options

The DEXA scan is the gold standard procedure for body composition analysis. We offer multiple plans for you to choose from.

Basic Body Composition Scan - $249

45 mins | Whole Body Scan + Dexafit Ai App Results
Accurate measurement and detailed visual imaging of body composition provides valuable information giving detailed breakdown of your whole body mass: weight of your bones, fat, muscle and visceral fat.
Calculations and measurement of total body mass – lean mass and fat mass (breaks down your total body mass by region, including arms, legs, trunk (left and right), android-apple shape (breast and belly), and gynoid-pear shape (below the waist).
Estimated amount of visceral fat – the type of fat around the internal organs stored
within the abdominal cavity.
Bone health screening of your whole body bone mass can give a good indication if
you are most likely to have bone loss or bone decrease.
Visual comparison of gradual changes in body mass over time.
Scores compared to your gender and age group.
Ideal for those seeking weight management, athletes, fitness enthusiasts,
bodybuilders and to gain the best possible insight regarding body composition.
Monitoring progress over time has never been so easy. Download the Dexafit AI App
on Google Play or Apple App Store for your results.
Our Technologists will guide you through the application and provide you with basic
information based on your results.
Patients will receive an emailed copy of the report.

Advanced Body Composition Scan - $499

45 mins | Whole Body Scan + Dexafit Ai App Results + Physician Review
Accurate measurement and detailed visual imaging of body composition provides valuable information giving detailed breakdown of your whole body mass: weight of your bones, fat, muscle and visceral fat.
Calculations and measurement of total body mass – lean mass and fat mass (breaks
down your total body mass by region, including arms, legs, trunk (left and right),
android-apple shape (breast and belly), and gynoid-pear shape (below the waist)
Estimated amount of visceral fat – the type of fat around the internal organs stored
within the abdominal cavity.
Bone health screening of your whole body bone mass can give a good indication if
you are most likely to have bone loss or bone decrease.
Visual comparison of gradual changes in body mass over time.
Scores compared to your gender and age group.
Physicians review the results in approximately 1-2 weeks, may advise on lifestyle
modification, recommend further testing, treatment, or referrals to specialists if necessary.
Ideal for those curious about health, planning to get healthier, losing weight and gain
the best possible insight regarding body composition. Breast health screening based
on BMI and body fat.
Monitoring progress over time has never been so easy. Download the Dexafit AI App on Google Play or Apple App Store for your results.
Our Technologists will guide you through the application and provide you with basic
information based on your results.
Patients will receive an emailed copy of the report.

Bone Densitometry Scan - $499

45 mins | Osteoporosis Screening + Results + Physician Review
Evaluation of bone density loss or low bone mass in the hip, spine and sometimes the forearm to determine the risk of osteoporosis.
Values are compared to others of the same age and gender (Z-scores) or healthy
young adults at peak bone mass (T-scores).
Results help track bone health changes over time:

Early detection: Can identify bone thinning (osteopenia) at an early stage,
before it progresses to osteoporosis, allowing for timely intervention.
Risk assessment: Helps predict your risk of future fractures.
Diagnosis: Diagnose osteopenia (low bone mass) and osteoporosis.
Monitoring: Tracks the effectiveness of osteoporosis treatment.

Physicians review the results in approximately 1-2 weeks and provide recommendations, treatment, or referrals based on the findings.
Patients will receive an emailed copy of the completed report.

LAB WORK – Additional cost approximately $200 paid to the lab (subject to change)

Your blood can also determine your bone health. In addition to the scan, lab work is ordered as part of bone health screening and risk assessment.
We will provide you with a bloodwork requisition and instruction at the scan
appointment.

Heart & Stroke Risk Scan - $499

45 mins | Abdominal Aortic Calcification Scan + Results + Physician Review
Screening to detect and identify individuals at higher risk for heart disease by assessing Abdominal Aortic Calcification (AAC).
Lateral DXA is non-invasive, has low radiation exposure, and is relatively inexpensive compared with CT, a helpful screening tool for vascular calcification.
Measurements can help detect anomalies earlier. The image captures the presence of abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) associated with cardiovascular disease in older individuals.
The build-up is the hardening of the abdomen’s largest artery. When calcium deposits build up in its walls, it hardens and restricts blood flow.
Physicians review the findings in approximately 1-2 weeks. Provide recommendations, medical intervention, and may advise on lifestyle modifications
that can help manage or prevent medical conditions.
Patients will receive an emailed copy of the completed report.

LAB WORK – Additional cost approximately $200 paid to the lab (subject to change)

Your blood can also determine your cardiovascular health. In addition to the scan, lab work is ordered as part of screening and risk assessment.
We will provide you with a bloodwork requisition and instruction at the scan appointment.

DexaCan is more than your average medical clinic.

Body Composition Scan Influence On Athletes

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a widely used measure of body weight in relation to height, but it has several limitations when it comes to assessing health, fitness, and disease risk. A DEXA scan provides a more complete picture of an individual’s health and fitness status.

BMI is calculated using only height and weight, which does not take into account the distribution of muscle, fat, and bone in the body. As a result, athletes, who typically have a high amount of muscle mass, can be classified as overweight or obese based on their BMI, even though they are in good health and have a low risk of disease.

By measuring the amount and distribution of lean tissue mass, fat mass, and bone mineral density, a DXA scan provides valuable information about an individual's metabolic health, risk for chronic diseases, and physical function.

Body composition results can be used to improve an athlete’s self-image. Traditional measures like mirror appearance, scale weight, and BMI can be discouraging and misleading. Body composition results, on the other hand, show that the body is complex and provide a more accurate picture of how an athlete’s body is responding to their hard work on the field.

Body composition assessments can also provide valuable information for performance optimization, injury prevention, and return-to-play decisions.

Who Should Get a DEXA Scan?

A DXA assessment is suitable for people on weight management programs, athletes in training as well as men and women at risk of osteoporosis and bone fracture.

It is also used for monitoring certain diseases such as Sarcopenia and Lipodystrophy and the effects of some medical therapies.

Why choose DexaCan for your private DEXA body scan?

Leading Expertise

Advanced body composition analysis delivered by our experienced practitioner

Rapid Access

Innovative Diagnostic Imaging

The best technology available for assessing obesity, cardiovascular, and other metabolic diseases.

Safety & Comfort

Quick 3-5 minute scan. No injections, non-invasive, painless with no patient preparation required.

FAQS

I'm a personal trainer, how can I use DEXA?

Show your clients their progress. Even when they aren’t dropping pounds on the scale, they’re gaining muscle and losing fat.

Optimize training. When workouts are too challenging, they can damage muscle tissue. When workouts are too easy, results are slow and motivation can run low.

Find muscle imbalances. Prevent injury by finding weaknesses early.

What causes visceral fat?

A caloric surplus can result in excess visceral fat. Unsurprisingly, visceral fat develops as a result of adopting unhealthy lifestyle habits. Some of these factors include:

Little or no exercise or avoiding functional exercises that build muscle
Poor diet high in carbohydrates, saturated fat, and empty calories
Poor sleep habits
Stress
Excessive alcohol consumption
Smoking

For people living sedentary lifestyles, it is quite easy to pick up several of these unhealthy habits. Over time, these habits will lead to increased amounts of body fat, including visceral fat.

How accurate are DEXA scans?

DEXA scans offer a high degree of precision and accuracy. Medical experts consider DEXA scans to be an accurate test for diagnosing osteoporosis.

Unlike x-ray machines, DEXA machines are checked daily for their ability to measure bone mineral accurately, and no two DXA machines are exactly alike. That is why your healthcare provider will insist that you have all of your DEXA tests done on the same machine.

Why is body composition important to measure?

Most diet and fitness goals focus on weight loss or gain, overlooking that two people of the same sex and body weight may look completely different from each other because they have different body compositions. Measuring your body composition will tell you your own body’s unique makeup and help you identify areas to work on to improve your overall health and wellness.

Getting a better insight into your overall wellness starts with measuring your body composition and going beyond the number on the scale. You will know whether you need to gain more lean mass or lower body fat percentage to achieve a healthy body composition and a better level of health.

Does a DEXA scan provide a snapshot of my health?

Yes, a DEXA scan will shed light on bone health and risk of osteoporosis, visceral fat and risk of chronic disease, muscle imbalances and risk of overcompensation and injury. It also compares your results to others in your demographic (height, weight, age, sex.)