Ultrasound as a body composition assessment tool

The assessment of body composition is one of the most important steps for nutritional diagnosis and decision-making for nutritional intervention and, in recent years, it has been the target of major developments. In this scenario, ultrasound (US) has gained importance as a fast, practical and reliable method to be used in clinical practice. The present study aimed to carry out a literature review on the use of the USA to assess body composition and, for that, the technical principles of this method were described, for the assessment of subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and for measurement of the cross-sectional area (CSA) muscle. In addition to evaluating the applicability of US compared to other methods of assessing body composition in different clinical contexts, with sarcopenia and sports. This review has an update character, as it presents a comparison between the main body composition analysis techniques, highlighting the main advantages and disadvantages of each. Additionally, the anatomical points and procedures to assess both the SAT and the CSA are described, including relevant points to be observed during this standardization. Given the content presented, it is possible to demand that an ultrasound can provide an accurate, reproducible and rapid analysis of body tissues and its application can be expanded in different clinical and sports contexts. Finally, we believe in the potential contribution and update that this present study promotes to health professionals involved in the context of body composition field.