Women and Bodyfat Percentages

[Tatyana]

Here is a list of bodyfat percentages from Tom Venuto (bodybuilder)

Men:

Contest bodybuilder: 3-5%
Extremely lean: 6-9%
Lean: 10-15%
Average Male: 16-20%
Poor: 20-25%
Very Poor: 25%+


Women:

Fitness model/bodybuilder: 8-11%
Extremely lean: 12-15%
Lean: 16-19%
Average female: 20-25%
Poor: 25-29%
Very Poor: 30%+


And from Wiki (American council on Exercise)

Women

Essential fat 12–15%
Athletes 16–20%
Fitness 21–24%
Acceptable 25–31%
Obese 32%+


Men
Essential fat 2–5%
Athletes 6–13%
Fitness 14–17%
Acceptable 18–25%
Obese 25%+

There does seem to be a few percentage difference for what is considered essential body fat for women.

What I think they mean by essential bodyfat for women is what women need for reproductive health, under this amount of bodyfat, and women stop menstrating.

I know for me it is around 10-12%.

So, if you strip fat like a bodybuilder, which means feeding the muscle and burning the fat, not by starving yourself, do you think it is healthy or unhealthy to take your bodyfat to the 10% or sub 10% range for a few months?

Discuss

 

[superqt4u2nv]

I got down to 8% last contest prep and never fully lost my period still would get 1-2 days light spotting. However the first few times I started a cutting type diet I would lose it once I got around 18% so I think it really depends. Our bodies are smart and learn how to adapt to conditions we put them under. Just my two cents oh and my prefrecne I like to be around 14-12% I am going to try my hardist this off season to still see my abs which is around 14%

 

[Tatyana]

Interesting, that sort of fits with what I think, that the human body is far more tough than we think.

I am sure women had really low bodyfat for long periods of time when we were running around in animal furs collecting berries and grubs.

 

[fitness-rubber]

Interesting, that sort of fits with what I think, that the human body is far more tough than we think.

I am sure women had really low bodyfat for long periods of time when we were running around in animal furs collecting berries and grubs.

The human body is amazingly resilient; some of the things that I've seen people bounce back from are astounding.

 

[Tatyana]

Very true, I like to say we were designed to be 'warriors'

It is that some people say women do damage by having body fat so low, for example, fat will have have women have more oestrogen, which protects our bones from osteoporosis, and is also protective of the heart.

However, is this offset with training?