Pre-Scan Best Practice
How to get a reliable scan, and why consistency matters more than any specific protocol.
The one rule that matters
Be consistent.
Your scan is a snapshot of your body at one moment in time. If you change the conditions — what you ate, when you trained, how much water you’ve had — you’re comparing a slightly different body to a slightly different body. The numbers move, but not because anything real has changed.
Pick a routine you can repeat. Same time of day. Same food state. Same hydration habits. Same caffeine status. Then keep scanning that way every time.
That’s it. That’s the whole rule.
Consistency beats perfection. A scan done at 7am after a coffee and 500ml of water is more useful than a ‘perfect’ fasted scan one month and a post-lunch scan the next.
What to keep consistent
These are the things that change your numbers from one scan to the next. Keep them the same and your trend line tells you something real.
Time of day
Morning, afternoon, or evening — pick one and stick to it. Bodies hold different amounts of water at different times of day.
Food intake
Fasted, post-breakfast, or a few hours after a meal. Whichever you choose, make it the same every time.
Hydration
Don’t scan dehydrated one week and over-hydrated the next. Aim for normal daily intake before each scan.
Caffeine
A coffee before scanning is fine if you do it every time. Skipping it once will shift the result.
Training status
Pre-training is fine. Post-training shifts hydration. Pick one.
Clothing
Light, similar each time. Heavy hoodies and shoes affect weight, not body composition, but the total weight figure changes.
Things that meaningfully change your scan
If any of these apply, the scan will read differently than your true baseline. Worth knowing before you scan, not worth panicking about.
Alcohol in the last 24 hours
Affects hydration and how the scan reads water vs fat.
A heavy training session in the last few hours
Muscle is full of fluid post-training. Lean mass reads higher than baseline.
A large meal in the last 4 hours
Especially if it was high-carb. Carbs hold water; lean mass reads higher.
Significant dehydration
Long flights, hot weather, illness. Lean mass reads lower than baseline.
Hot showers, sauna, or steam right before scanning
Skin temperature affects the electrical signal.
A heavy carb load the day before
Common with social meals or competition prep.
When not to scan
Skip the scan and let your coach know if any of the following apply:
- You’re pregnant
- You have a pacemaker
- You have a cochlear implant
- You have any active electronic medical implant
Your coach can still track your progress — we’ll use other measures while you’re not scanning.
Starting from scratch?
Pick the version of you that’s easiest to repeat.
For most members, that’s: morning, before training, after a glass of water, before any food or coffee. It’s the most stable version of you, and it’s easy to recreate week after week.
If mornings don’t work for your schedule, scan at 2pm. If you always train fasted, scan fasted. If you always have a coffee first, have a coffee first. The goal is repeatability, not perfection.
Want the deeper science?
Evolt has a thorough knowledge base covering how BIA technology works, what affects accuracy, and what each variable does to your scan. It’s worth a read if you like the detail — but it’s not required to get value from your scans.
View Evolt’s full guideNeed help?
Questions about your scan? Message your coach in the app or email members@stateoffitness.com.au.