Ryerson University’s Nutrition and Exercise Testing Lab (a.k.a. NExT) offers a battery of tests (ranging in price from $50 to $1,000) to the public that are typically only available to pro athletes. The lab’s technicians can do an ultrasound on your thigh or abdomen to measure the exact number of millimetres of fat; monitor you as you run on a treadmill; and put you in the Bod Pod, which collects and parses information about your body composition (body-fat percentage, lean mass, fat mass, etc.). Here’s how it works, in three easy steps:
1. Strip down to your skivvies. The presence of any excess air in the folds of your clothing can cause imprecisions.
2. Don the swim cap. Staff offer silicone caps in red, blue or a SpongeBob SquarePants–themed design.
3. Hop in. The egg-shaped machine is pressurized. It fills with cold air and takes body measurements based on the volume of displaced air. A detailed report is emailed to you later.