UKC

Does anyone know a good place to get a DEXA scan where they’ll go into detail about body composition with me?
 

I’ve been re-comping for over a year now but I’ve still got a way to go before I reach my ideal climbing weight. At 13.5% body fat I’m going to need some advice on where to lose those kilos from (muscle, visceral fat, etc), and possibly how to go about it. 
 

I’m driving from Inverness to Font at the end of July so I can stop anywhere on the way to get it done. Sheffield, London, etc are all fine; anywhere really.  

13.5% is a very healthy body fat percentage. What are your current standards and limitations?

Be super careful about focusing on body fat. It can be a lead into eating disorders which can damage your performance, physical and mental health.

IMHO it's something to worry about at the top levels where you have access to support and nutrition advice. 

Sheffield Hallam University offer this I think

Are you sure you don't mean, 'how to I get to 10% so my 6 pack stands out'

You can't target fat loss just from visceral fat. You probably wouldn't want to reduce muscle, which would also have the side effect of increasing your body fat percentage.

Your wish list shows a number of 6A's. You'd probably get more benefit from improving your technique, than eating a specific diet. If you're worried about muscle mass, then increase your protein intake, lift weights and climb more. If you're worried about body fat, then cut out alcohol and junk food, go running. But more importantly than all that, enjoy the process.

I’m not focusing on body fat. It’s the fact that I’m down to such a low body fat and still need to lose kilos to be at an optimum BMI that’s the reason why I need a DEXA scan. IE I might need to lose muscle or it might be that the weight is tied up in in visceral fat which you can’t detect using skin-fold analysis.

If your main driver for this is to improve climbing, then invest the money on coaching.

That’s probably because I haven’t updated my wish list in the best part of a decade. 
 

There really is a lot of mansplaining going on at UKC isn’t there 😂

That makes more sense.

You can perhaps appreciate that the advice you'd give to an aspiring 6a climber might differ from that that you would give to a 7a climber.

I was just about to post that it's interesting that the only post offering the info you asked for is from a woman ( or at least a poster with a female name).

Yeah. It’s more what changes I need to make to get to 7b and beyond. Or more precisely the kind of 7’s I want to be climbing in the future because with a BMI of 25 my body is currently more suited to technical face climbing and slabs rather than steeper crimpy stuff. 
 

However, and no disrespect to you lot, if I was looking for advice on generalities regarding improving my climbing (and I’m sure I will be at some point), I wouldn’t turn to a web forum. I’d probably call Lattice. 

Think they identify as a sponge, rather than female.

I think that succinctly illustrates my feelings about climbing culture in the UK 🙂

Possibly MMU - they have one, and use it for research, not sure if they are currently taking paid clients. 

Any idea who I might be able to contact to find out?

You don't need a BMI of under 25 to climb 7b. My BMI is more than that and I've climbed quite a few.

As others have suggested - work on your weaknesses. That is likely to give you better gains than losing a couple of kilos

I'm curious as a radiographer, how this unnecessary radiation exposure would be justified under the irmer regulations? It would seem to be stretching the limits of risk/ benefit somewhat!

Nonetheless it's your body and i hope you manage to find what you're after.

Such a depressing thread.

Go have fun and build technique repertoire. When you're in the 8s you can start to fret about this shit beyond being fit and eating healthily.

You're allowed to eat pies even if you climb 8s you know...

F**k me! This forum really is full of mansplainers isn’t it?
 

I didn’t ask for advice on how to climb 7b, and I wasn’t interested in people I don’t know, who know nothing about my climbing technique, critiquing my technique. I was asking where I can get a DEXA scan, so if you don’t know the answer to the question, it’s fully OK to refrain from chipping in.

I have some magic beans that will help you lose body fat and climb 7b if you are keen.

Previous post below 🤷🏻‍♂️

No need to start name calling, most were only trying to be helpful and encouraging. Myself included

It's exceptionally small, about 7 μSv per scan from what I recall.

I used to be the technician there 5 years ago.... but we did have restrictions on the number of scans a participant could have per year.

Every does is still a non zero dose.

I don't sorry. Since I moved on from there the staff have changed. Try contacting the sports sci / medical imaging department. 

It totally is, but there isn't really any mansplaining to speak of going on in this thread.  People declining to directly answer your question but giving you different information that they think you need instead is something else.

Erm..  I guess it's going to seem like I'm trying to make a point now that I've said that, but I'm genuinely curious - how do you know what the exact correct BMI is for a particular style of route?  It all seems very specific, is there some kind of formula that you're following?

Your optimum body fat is where it naturally sits if you eat sensibly and climb lots, it'll resolve itself. 

So that would be about equivalent to getting two dental X-rays, right? Or about a third of a transatlantic flight from London to New York.

I wouldn’t want to do that every day but I’m not at all concerned about doing it as a one-off. 

I have some already, ta 🙂

There is no particular BMI for each style of route, only what feels right for you. This should be kind of obvious, no?

If you’re carrying 10kg of blubber (or if you’re fairly ripped but are carrying 10 kilos more muscle than you need), you’re going to find steep climbing on crimps as difficult as a lighter climber wearing a 10kg weight vest.

Strength training, climbing technique, and body composition all play a part in climbing performance. It’s not rocket science really; if I can crimp, say, 45kg one handed on a 15mm edge that’s going to work a lot harder for me if it’s hauling up a 70kg body rather than an 80kg body. Like… extremely obviously, it’s 10kg of extra force.

I’m sure the mansplainers are now going to semi-digest what I just wrote and make irrelevant or straw-man counter arguments in response  but presumably that’s just because they’re bored and looking for something to do on the internet  

And now I’ve hopefully satisfied your curiosity, can we talk about DEXA scans please?

I think you're ignoring advice from people who have already worked their way through the grades you aspire too. Unless you're plateauing in the mid 7s, then technique and mileage is key. Climbing often, the walk ins, eating well and you're body fat level will settle where appropriate long term. I know plenty climbers who aren't athletic and pad their way up mid Es, I'm fortunate, a slender 85kg a thug, chins dips press ups not a problem i can rattle them off, my other half: she can probably force out two chin ups, but can climb the same grade. I can also think of brutes like john dunne or George smith, no one would ever accuse them of lacking strength to body weight! 

You're chasing the wrong metric to improve performance, spend the money on some coaching. 

Who’s mansplaining now…?

Also, I don’t think anyone’s mentioned this yet, but a quick way to rebalance those BMI numbers and unlock that all important key to the higher grades would be to get a kidney, your spleen and half your liver removed. All are as superfluous to climbing as that pesky extra muscle and it would be a much quicker way to get a better height to weight ratio. 

Right! Seeing as most of you here are verifiable idiots, I’m out of here. 

Thanks to the two of you who answered my question. 

Bye 👋 

Very much so, yes.  I don't think you need to worry about the "mansplainers" on the thread trying to counter this - it seems to me like pretty much what they've been trying to say to you tbh.

More confusion than curiosity, and no - I'm afraid your post only makes me more confused.  You can't objectively measure what "feels right" with a big whizzy machine.  I know nuffink about serious training, but I'd have thought that's something better explored in a more subjective way with the help of a good coach.

I could tell you about my DEXA scans if you like, but I don't think you'd be interested.  (Both times as a volunteer being weighed, measured and generally surveyed for medical research - so neither of the scanning machines was one the public have access to on a 'pay and play' basis unfortunately.)

Man who seeks pointless knowledge calls others idiots.

You don't want to do that......