Calculating muscle mass from lean body mass is a method of estimating the amount of skeletal muscle in an individual’s body. Lean body mass includes muscle, bone, organs, and other metabolically active tissues; calculating muscle mass involves differentiating between fat tissue and muscle tissue. For example, an individual who weighs 150 pounds with 100 pounds of lean body mass would have 50 pounds of muscle mass.
Estimating muscle mass is important for a variety of reasons. It is a useful tool in the medical, fitness, and research fields, for instance, for assessing body composition, determining nutritional needs, and evaluating the effectiveness of fitness programs. Historically, the development of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) in the mid-20th century provided a non-invasive method of estimating muscle mass, revolutionizing the field.