Changes in hydration level may affect measurements. If your body is dehydrated, you will probably get overvalued measures. On the contrary, if you are too hydrated, you may find slightly undervalued measures. Changes in hydration levels can be caused by diet (food and drink), exercise, alcohol, caffeine, health status (including menstruation).
To obtain the best accuracy and repeatability, we advise you to follow the following tips:
- Take measurements at least 3 hours after waking up (a long night's sleep tends to dehydrate the body)
- Take measurements at least 3 hours after a large meal or after strenuous exercise.
- Take a measurement once a week at the same time and under similar conditions. Measuring more frequently is not helpful because your body fat does not change significantly overnight.
We estimate the best time of the day to take a measurement between 18h and 20h (before eating and taking a shower or bath).
By following these tips, variations in hydration will be negligible, so you can better see the actual changes in your body fat.
*credit to Sylvain of iHealth Labs EU