Ultrasound has been used effectively to assess body fat for nearly 5 decades, yet this method is not known as well as many other body composition techniques. The purpose of this review is to explain the technical principles of the ultrasound method, explain the procedures for taking a measurement and interpreting the results, evaluate the reliability and validity of this method for measuring subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue, highlight the advantages and limitations of ultrasound relative to other body composition methods, consider its utility to clinical populations, and introduce new body composition-specific ultrasound technology. The focus of this review is adipose, although various tissue thicknesses (e.g., muscle and bone) can be measured with ultrasound. Being a portable imaging device that is capable of making fast regional estimates of body composition, ultrasound is an attractive assessment tool in instances when other methods are limited. Furthermore, much of the research suggests that it is reliable, reproducible, and accurate. The biggest limitations appear to be a lack of standardization for the measurement technique and results that are highly dependent on operator proficiency. New ultrasound devices and accompanying software designed specifically for the purpose of body composition assessment might help to minimize these limitations. 1. Introduction An accurate assessment of body composition is important to identify health risk associated with excessively high or low amounts of body fat, monitor changes in body composition associated with certain diseases, as an aid to developing weight loss or weight gain programs and assessing the effectiveness of nutrition and exercise interventions, and to monitor age-related changes in body composition. Many different methods for the assessment of body composition exist. Some methods are referred to as laboratory methods because they are typically available in only clinical and research settings. Common laboratory methods include dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), densitometry obtained from underwater weighing or air displacement plethysmography, and hydrometry from isotope dilution. Other methods, such as skinfolds, bioelectrical impedance (BIA), anthropometric measurements, and weight？:？height indices, involve minimal and easily portable equipment; thus, they are more practical for the practitioner and categorized as field methods. Numerous review articles detailing these methods and techniques have been published. Ultrasound can also be used for body composition assessment; however,
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