DEXA Scan

A DEXA scan provides detailed information about body composition and bone density. Body composition — your breakdown of fat, lean tissue, and muscle — is a major predictor of long-term disease, fitness, and function. Looking at weight or BMI alone is often inaccurate.

Frailty, weak bones, and fractures are a significant contributor to death and loss of quality of life as we age. Often called a 'silent' disease, many people only realise they have osteoporosis after experiencing a fracture from a minor fall. Measuring your baseline of bone strength can help predict future risk and guide early targeted bone-building strategies.

• People who want to optimise their training and nutrition strategies by understanding their muscle mass and fat distribution
• People with one or more risk factors for osteoporosis or fractures — including a family history of osteoporosis
• Younger women who are underweight or do not engage in resistance training

• The scan is performed at a BodySpec partner facility — appointments take less than 15 minutes total, with 6–11 minutes of actual scan time
• You remain fully clothed (workout clothes without metal — no zippers or underwire bras) on an open table; no confining tube or loud noise like an MRI
• Keep activity light in the 12 hours before your scan, and avoid scheduling within two weeks of any barium exam or contrast study
• Results upload to your BodySpec account within minutes, then your Mito care team reviews them in the context of your other labs

DEXA delivers a very low dose of radiation — roughly 0.4 microsieverts per scan, similar to eating four bananas — but should still be avoided if you are pregnant or possibly pregnant. Maximum weight is 350 lb (mobile vans) or 450 lb (storefronts); maximum height is 6'5" (vans) or 6'6" (storefronts).