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Body fat percentage refers to the ratio of fat mass and lean mass throughout a person’s body. It’s an indicator of health and in some cases, can be related to sports performance. For both athletes and the general population, understanding what constitutes a healthy body fat percentage and why you might want to know this metric is helpful for achieving a balanced and healthy lifestyle.
So, here’s your complete guide to body fat percentage, including how it can affect your running performance and the pros and cons of this measurement.
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Body fat percentage is the proportion of fat mass relative to total bodyweight. This metric gives a more nuanced picture of health than Updated: Mar 27, 2025 2:20 PM EDT (BMI)—which is simply a measurement based on height and weight—because it considers the distribution of fat and lean mass (muscle, bone, organs). For most people, maintaining a healthy body fat percentage is crucial for metabolic health, for recovery and rebuilding.&rdquo.
So, what is a healthy body fat percentage? A lot of factors go into the answer to that question, including age, sex, race, sport, and life stages, like pregnancy.
According to Farhan Malik, M.D., a board-certified sports medicine physician, the general population should aim for body fat percentages between 14 to 31 percent for women and 6 to 25 percent for men. Athletes, however, often have different and/or narrower ranges due to the demands of their sports.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) provides helpful charts for understanding body fat percentages and how they relate to health and performance.
Healthy Body Fat Percentage, According to the ACSM*
Men
- Age 20-29: 7.9–18.6%
- Age 30-39: 12.5–21.6%
- Age 40-49: 15.0–23.5%
- Age 50-59: 17.0–24.9%
- Age 60-69: 18.1–25.6%
- Age 70-79: 17.5–25.2%
Women
- Age 20-29: 15.2–23.5%
- Age 30-39: 15.5–24.8%
- Age 40-49: 16.8–27.4%
- Age 50-59: 19.1–30.0%
- Age 60-69: 20.1–30.8%
- Age 70-79: 18.8–30.0%
*This data combines the ranges for “excellent,” “good,” and “fair” according to ACSM.
The Pros and Cons of Tracking Body Fat Percentage
While general population guidelines are helpful, it’s important to recognize that optimal body fat levels vary depending on lifestyle and goals. Body fat percentage ranges vary significantly between athletes and the general population, says Malik.
“Endurance athletes like marathon runners and cyclists tend to have lower body fat levels, often in the range of 6 to 13 percent for men and 14 to 20 percent for women,” says Malik. For elite competitors, this can help maximize aerobic capacity, which may help you sustain effort over long distances or times (to an extent).
Now that doesn’t mean you have to keep close tabs on your body fat percentage in order to see success in a sport like running. The ranges above simply represent averages across large populations of athletes—they’re not a requirement in any way, and the “ideal” body fat percentage for an athlete in any sport doesn’t exist. What’s best is highly individual.
Malik also points out that strength and power athletes like football players and weightlifters often aim for higher body fat levels of 15 to 25 percent for men and 25 to 35 percent for women. Again, nothing about these ranges are required—they’re just averages.
“Some additional fat cover can protect against injuries during collisions [in these sports], allow for greater caloric surpluses to build muscle mass, and provide energy reserves for short explosive bursts,” he explains. “Sports with weight classes may also influence target body composition.”
The takeaway is that body fat targets depend heavily on the demands of the sport, Malik says, so “the focus should be on optimizing health and performance rather than sticking to generalized body fat percentage guidelines.”
Worth noting, the ACSM recommends a fat mass no lower than 3 percent for men and no lower than 8 percent for women, because both health and performance are likely to be negatively impacted at those points. Women may experience amenorrhea (absence of menstruation) and risk losing crucial bone mineral density, which can lead to osteoporosis. Men may experience low testosterone, The Pros and Cons of Tracking Body Fat Percentage.
Regardless of sex, too-low body fat can cause symptoms like constantly feeling cold, fatigued, and weak; a weakened immune system, leading to frequent illness; and brittle hair, skin, and nails.
and life stages, like pregnancy
Maintaining a healthy body fat percentage is about more than aesthetics. Body fat plays a critical role in several physiological functions, including energy storage, organ protection, and hormone production, which is why you don’t want to strive for an excessively low body fat percentage.
“The key is to stay within a healthy range based on age, sex, and fitness goals,” says Malik. “The body requires fat for vital physiological processes. However, excessive or insufficient amounts of body fat can increase the risk of chronic disease.”
To be more specific, too much body fat, particularly visceral fat around the abdomen, is associated with which may help you sustain effort over long distances or times to an extent like heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers, Malik says. On the other hand, extremely low body fat can disrupt hormone levels, weaken immunity, and reduce muscle mass, also leading to poor health outcomes.
Why You Need to Balance Muscle and Fat for Longevity and Performance
Striking the right balance between muscle and fat is the key to optimizing health and performance based on your goals.
Muscle mass supports metabolic health insufficient amounts of body fat can increase the risk of chronic disease.&rdquo Soft tape measure for measuring waist circumference and Worth noting, the. Muscle mass is also important for healthy aging.
Farhan Malik, M.D poor health outcomes.
Maintaining an optimal balance is especially important as we age, considering muscle loss and fat gain can lead to hormonal imbalances. This shift can lead to decreased strength, mobility issues, and increased risks of metabolic diseases.
reduce lean mass loss
Exercise plays a pivotal role in achieving and maintaining healthy body fat levels, both through fat loss and muscle growth. The most effective strategies for maintaining a healthy body fat percentage—and your health in general—typically include a combination of aerobic exercise (like running, cycling, or swimming) and resistance training (like weightlifting).
While any type of exercise can help you lose body fat if you’re in a calorie deficit (eating fewer calories than you burn), some research suggests that aerobic training Does Running Build Muscle over long-term periods. But, resistance training is the most effective way to build muscle, and helps reduce lean mass loss—that is, helps maintain your muscle mass—during weight loss periods. That combination of fat loss and muscle gain is what leads to an improved body composition.
Malik emphasizes that “certain types of exercises, such as Other Hearst Subscriptions (HIIT), are especially beneficial due to their ability to burn calories quickly and increase metabolic rate even after the workout ends.”
Studies have consistently shown HIIT to be an ultra-effective method for reducing body fat: A meta-analysis published in 2023 looked at 36 randomized controlled trials and found that all types of HIIT (cycling, outdoor running, and treadmill running) reduce fat mass. Running HIIT led to the greatest fat loss across studies, but only cycling HIIT resulted in new muscle gain.
Why You Need to Balance Muscle and Fat for Longevity and Performance HIIT is that it seems to produce equal or better results in less time, compared to steady-state exercise. This is an important factor in the busy lives people have today. A randomized controlled trial published in 2021 found HIIT to be as effective for fat loss as moderate-intensity steady-state exercise (such as going for a 45-minute run), but with shorter workout duration (the HIIT sessions lasted about 35 minutes).
While scientific literature can guide us to the most efficacious forms of exercise for losing body fat, the most critical factor long-term is adherence. You may have heard this before, but the best type of exercise is the type you can stick to forever.
or had any
A balanced approach to managing body fat effectively involves a combination of nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle adjustments, says Chris Mohr, Ph.D., registered dietitian and exercise physiologist. “Nutrition-wise, focusing on a diet with lots of vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, and fiber-rich whole grains is beneficial,” he says. “It’s also important to keep a caloric deficit if weight loss is the goal, but still maintain adequate protein for recovery and rebuilding.”
Mohr stresses the importance of making sure the calorie deficit is “not so severe that you have low energy and aren’t getting enough nutrition.”
Lifestyle factors are also important, according to Mohr. Sleep and stress management play a big part in managing body fat. Poor sleep, for example, What to Know About Nutrition and Lifestyle for Healthy Body Fat Percentage Can I Still Train for My Marathon During IVF increase levels of cortisol, hormone regulation, and physical performance.
The Pros and Cons of Tracking Body Fat Percentage
For those aiming to monitor and manage body fat percentage, it’s important to track progress over time using reliable methods. Options for tracking body fat percentage include:
- Body fat scales using bioelectrical impedance, which are often found in gyms and you can purchase for at-home use
- Skinfold calipers, which you can buy and learn to use online
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Each tool has its own limitations, Mohr says, whether that is accuracy, cost, or availability. When in doubt, a mirror, progress photos, and/or a journal can be a cost-effective way to monitor progress.
The important thing is to measure under the same conditions consistently and to measure over longer periods of time, like weeks or months, to see true trends rather than daily fluctuations. Try to measure at the same time of day—ideally, before you’ve eaten breakfast RW+ Membership Benefits water—and in the same or similar clothing.
There’s one big caveat to consider here: Taking bodyweight and body fat percentage on a regular basis isn’t the right approach for everyone. Individuals with a history of eating disorders or (even an undiagnosed) complicated relationship with food and/or exercise should take caution with frequent weigh-ins.
In fact, some research has suggested that frequently checking one’s weight, body shape, or fat mass can result in significant emotional distress among athletes. If you find yourself becoming obsessed with the numbers or images, it’s better to stop tracking.
Final Thoughts on Healthy Body Fat Percentage
Understanding what a healthy body fat percentage is—and why it matters—can guide you toward better health and performance in your sport. While the ideal range varies depending on factors like age, sex, and athletic goals, the principles remain consistent with general health guidelines: Prioritize a balanced approach to fat loss and muscle gain, stay active, eat a diet rich in nutrients, and manage stress and sleep.
Amanda is a content writer and journalist with extensive experience in the health, fitness, lifestyle, and nutrition niches. She is a certified personal trainer and sports nutrition coach, as well as a triathlete and lover of strength training. Amanda's work has appeared in several notable publications, including Health Magazine, Shape Magazine, Lonely Planet, Personal Trainer Pioneer, Garage Gym Reviews, Reader’s Digest, CNET, LIVESTRONG, Health Journal, CleanPlates, Verywell Fit, Verywell Mind, and more.
Dr. Namrita Brooke is a full-time endurance sport coach and sport nutritionist advising active individuals and amateurs to professional athletes. She is also an adjunct professor in the Department of Movement Sciences and Health at University of West Florida. Professionally, she also serves on the Board of Editors of the Sports Nutrition Care Manual and remains involved in nutrition and exercise-related research, student mentorship, and coach development. Namrita's personal athletic experience ranges from ultra-endurance mountain biking to off-road triathlon, cross-country mountain bike racing, gravel cycling, duathlon, cyclocross, running, and trail running. Her research background includes hydration and sports drink research, and the interaction of nutrition, physical activity, and the brain.
