Samsung Galaxy Watch Body Composition: How Much Can You Trust the Numbers?
How accurate is Samsung Galaxy Watch body composition? Research finds strong agreement for body-fat estimates but weaker results for skeletal muscle. The post Samsung Galaxy Watch Body Composition: How Much Can You Trust the Numbers? appeared first on TechRepublic .
Samsung's Galaxy Watch can estimate body composition, but the accuracy of these readings is debated. A 2025 study compared the Galaxy Watch5 with DXA, finding strong agreement for body-fat estimates but weaker results for skeletal muscle. The watch uses Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) to estimate body composition by sending electrical currents through the body.
Users place two fingers on the watch's buttons, keeping their arms away from their torso. While the Galaxy Watch may provide general information about body composition, individual readings can vary significantly from DXA measurements. Researchers found a strong correlation (0.91) for body-fat percentage but only a weak correlation (0.45) for skeletal-muscle percentage.
The Galaxy Watch's mean absolute error for body-fat percentage was 2.87 percentage points, while for skeletal muscle it was 6.47 percentage points. The study also noted proportional bias, with errors increasing as body fat percentage increased. Users should take measurements under consistent conditions and avoid activities that raise body temperature or interfere with the measurement.
The study suggests that while the Galaxy Watch can offer useful general information about body composition, a single reading should not be treated as equivalent to a DXA measurement. More research is needed to determine the watch's reliability in detecting longitudinal changes in body composition.
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