Researchers in the Department of Kinesiology have developed a new cutting-edge method of measuring body composition (fat mass and muscle mass) from a single digital image taken using a smartphone or tablet-based application.
Your generous Bama Blitz donation will be dedicated toward the purchase of equipment for a portable body composition laboratory. Tablets, tripods, and photography backdrops will allow our team of students and faculty to provide body composition measurements with research-grade accuracy at community outreach events and for data collection in field settings. Additional funds will be dedicated toward ongoing maintenance, technical support, and data management services.
Accurate body composition measurements are important for strength and conditioning professionals to monitor improvements in their athletes, and for allied health professionals to identify individuals at greater risk of obesity-related diseases or to track changes in weight loss. However, testing outside of clinical or research settings is challenging because of the cost and size of traditional equipment, as well as technical difficulties accommodating taller and heavier individuals. The new technology developed by the Department of Kinesiology will become the new standard assessment tool for sports performance and allied health professionals.
