Welcome to the first Dexalytics blog. Being the first blog entry, I think it is important to answer some basic questions. The first question you may have is what is Dexalytics and why was it developed. However, before we answer those questions I think it might be helpful to give a history of Dexalytics first.

In 2007, a National Football League team contacted me about understanding the data they were collecting on their players using dual x-ray absorptiometer (DXA). The team felt that they were only scratching the surface of the data they were collecting. The data was amazing as the team not only collected data on their own athletes but also on free agents, possible draft picks, etc. Fortunately, I had a doctoral student named Tyler Bosch working with me, who realized the potential of this data to not only evaluate players but also aid in the training of athletes. Not only could this information be used to help football athletes, but also could be used for athletes in other sports.

It was from this initial research that Dexaltyics was born. In simple terms, Dexalytics is a software solution to taking complex body composition data and optimizing this data into a usable format for the athlete, coach, nutritionist, general manager, etc. The foundation of the Dexalytics solution is an algorithm that was developed from extensive research into the area of body composition analysis and sports performance. The algorithm provides a score (Dexalytics Scores) in the context of positions and teams from the vast information produced by the DXA.

Dexalytics helps identify each player’s ideal body type. Originally designed for use in football Dexalytics soon proved to be useful in other sports. It can also compare players of a similar position as well as track athletes over time. This information can be used to make adaptations in training or diet. Currently, Dexalytics is being used by both professional and collegiate teams and is available for purchase. Besides being able to handle complex data from DXA devices, Dexalytics is designed as a flexible platform to handle a variety of complex data and from a variety of sports technology devices.

Future posts on the Dexalytics blog will cover topics to pros and cons of different ways to measure body composition. How to get the most information from your body composition data. The blog will also highlight new research into body composition as well as other sports data and performance. Dexalytics will also explore new technologies being used in athletic performance. The Dexalytics blog also welcomes questions regarding Dexalytics as well as the analytics of sports data and new technology.

In closing, at the end of the day, performance is all that matters. No matter what you measure, it needs to answer the question, "how will this improve my athlete". Dexalytics provides clear information about each athlete's body type in relation to performance. The context and metrics are driven by you in order to provide a clear picture of each athlete's specific needs. The Dexalytics Score provides sport and position information to prepare your athletes to meet the demands of their sport.

About the Author: Donald Dengel, Ph.D., is a Professor in the School of Kinesiology at the University of Minnesota and is a co-founder of Dexalytics. He serves as the Director of the Laboratory of Integrative Human Physiology, which provides clinical vascular, metabolic, exercise and body composition testing for researchers across the University of Minnesota.