DEXA Scan Cincinnati: My DEXAFit Review (Cost, Results and Experience)

A DXA scan, also known as DEXA (Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry), is the gold standard for body composition analysis and bone density testing. I’ve been interested in tracking my body composition for years, but for the longest time it was nearly impossible to find a DEXA scan in Cincinnati. The first one I ever had here was at Children’s Hospital as a volunteer for people getting trained on the machine. That was back in 2017. Fast forward to now and there is finally a great option for a DEXA body composition scan in Cincinnati, specifically in the Montgomery area.

When I was living in Utah, I found a DEXA there that was very convenient and affordable. It was a great way to track my muscle building journey. I was pretty bummed knowing I wouldn’t be able to keep up with it when I came back to Cincinnati. At that time, there was only one option here and the location wasn’t very close to me. So you can imagine how thrilled I was when I learned there was finally a DEXAFit location opening in Cincinnati.

Overview of DEXAFit Cincinnati

DEXAFit Cincinnati is a health and fitness facility focused on providing precise body composition assessments using advanced technology. They offer personalized insights tailored to your unique lifestyle and goals, whether you’re an athlete tracking muscle gains, someone focused on fat loss, or a woman wanting to monitor bone density.

Located at 8784 Montgomery Rd, Suite 102, Cincinnati, OH 45236, DEXAFit aims to empower individuals by offering tools that allow for informed decisions regarding health and wellness. You can reach them at (513) 201-7889 or book online through their website. This is something I’m very passionate about, knowing your body composition and bone density gives you an invaluable tool to make decisions about your health and training.

Services Offered at DEXAFit Cincinnati

DEXAFit Cincinnati provides a range of services tailored to enhance your health journey. Their offerings include DEXA body composition analysis, bone density testing, VO2 max fitness testing, and resting metabolic rate (RMR) testing. Later this year they will be offering a full menu of doctor-led wellness services, so stay tuned!

Each service is designed to give you actionable insights. Whether you’re looking to lose body fat, build muscle, boost athletic performance, or simply understand your metabolic health better, DEXAFit Cincinnati has the tools necessary for a comprehensive understanding of your unique health profile.

DEXA Body Composition Scan Cincinnati

The DEXA body scan is the core offering and the reason most people visit. This technology uses dual-energy X-ray to precisely measure fat mass, lean muscle mass, and bone mineral density, all broken down by body region (arms, legs, trunk). The scan takes just a few minutes and provides incredibly detailed insights into your body’s composition that you simply can’t get from a bathroom scale, BMI calculation, or even an InBody machine.

The level of radiation in a DEXA scan is minimal, roughly equivalent to what you might absorb on a short plane ride. You lie on an open table while the scanner arm passes over you. It’s completely painless, and there’s no enclosed space like an MRI. You get your results immediately through the DEXAFit app.

My DEXA Scan Results at DEXAFit Cincinnati

I want to share my actual results to give you a real picture of what the DEXAFit experience and data look like. I had a scan in July 2025 right before my national NPC bodybuilding competition, and then a follow-up scan in December 2025 during my offseason recovery.

Pre-Competition Results (July 2025)

Going into my competition, my DEXA scan showed some numbers I was really proud of:

• Lean Mass: 113 lbs, or 83 percent of total body weight. That put me 36 percent above my peer group average of 61 percent.
• Body Fat: 15.9 lbs at 11.8 percent, which was 66 percent below my peer group average of 34%.
• Visceral Fat: 0 lbs, rated “Excellent” and 100 percent below the peer group average of 1.3 lbs.

These numbers gave me a huge confidence boost heading into competition. More importantly, the history charts in the app showed the trajectory of my prep working exactly as planned, with lean mass holding steady while body fat dropped consistently.

Post-Competition Recovery (December 2025)

This is really important to note, competition-level body fat is not sustainable or healthy long term, especially for women. Getting down to 11.8 percent body fat was necessary for the stage, but it’s not where you want to live. After competition, I intentionally recovered and started an intentional building phase. My December DEXA scan reflected that healthy return to a sustainable body composition:

• Lean Mass: 112 lbs at 75 percent, still 22 percent above my peer group average. The slight tick down in lean mass is interesting, but well within the normal margin of error for a DEXA scan.
• Body Fat: 31.3 lbs at 20.9 percent, up from competition but still 40 percent percent below peer group average.
• Visceral Fat: 0.11 lbs, still rated “Excellent” and 92 percent below peer average.

This is exactly why regular DEXA scans are so valuable. Being able to see that I kept my lean mass while also recovering to a healthy body fat level gave me peace of mind. Without that data, it would have been easy to panic seeing the scale go up after competition. The DEXA showed me that the weight I was gaining was exactly what my body needed, even though I wish it had shown more of it was muscle. However, any measure of body composition includes a margin of error, so don’t get too caught up in the specifics. You always want to look for general direction of trends as I explain in more detail in my Hume Body Pod Review.

How Much Does a DEXA Scan Cost in Cincinnati?

One of the most common questions I get is about pricing. They do occasionally run sales, so be be on the lookout for that, best to sign up for their newsletter to get those announcements. Here’s what DEXAFit Cincinnati currently charges:

• Single DEXA Body Composition Scan: $199
• RMR Metabolism Test: $229
• VO2 Max Fitness Test: $249
• DEXA + RMR Bundle: $385 (10 percent discount)
• DEXA + VO2 Max Bundle: $399 (10 percent discount)
• All Three (DEXA + VO2 + RMR): $575 (15 percent discount)
• 2-Pack “Before & After” DEXA Scans: $358 (10 percent discount)
• 4-Pack of DEXA Scans: $677 (15 percent discount)

You can also add a physician-guided test review with Dr. DeMarco for $100 to $300 depending on the appointment length. Body composition DEXA scans are generally not covered by insurance, but they are eligible for HSA and FSA payment. Some DEXAFit users have reported successfully getting reimbursement from their insurance after submitting results.

If you plan to track your body composition over time (which I highly recommend), the multi-pack options are the best value. I personally think the 2-pack or 4-pack is the way to go since you’ll want to rescan every 3 to 6 months to track changes.

VO2 Max Fitness Test Cincinnati

The VO2 Max Fitness Test measures your maximum oxygen consumption during intense exercise. It’s a key indicator of cardiovascular fitness, endurance, and even longevity. Dr. Peter Attia considers it one of the most important health markers to track. At DEXAFit Cincinnati, this test involves a monitored treadmill run or stationary bike session. As you push yourself, the data collected helps tailor your training to enhance performance. Knowing your VO2 max can significantly improve not just your workouts but your overall health trajectory.

RMR Metabolism Test Cincinnati

The RMR Metabolism Test measures your resting metabolic rate, which is how many calories your body burns at rest. This is incredibly useful for anyone trying to dial in their nutrition, whether you’re trying to lose fat, gain muscle, or figure out why the scale isn’t budging.

By understanding your unique metabolism, you can stop guessing about calorie targets and make informed decisions about your diet. I’d especially recommend this for anyone who feels like they’re “doing everything right” but not seeing results. Sometimes the data reveals that your actual caloric needs are different from what the online calculators suggest. That being said, our online macro calculator is a great place to start and it’s free.

How to Prepare for Your DEXA Scan

Preparing for a DEXA scan is straightforward, but there are a few things you should know to get the most accurate results:

• Wear comfortable clothes without metal. Workout clothes are ideal. Remove jewelry, belts, and anything with zippers or snaps in the scan area.
• Avoid exercising the morning of your scan. Exercise can temporarily shift fluid distribution and affect readings.
• Stay hydrated normally. Don’t overhydrate or dehydrate, as water retention affects results. I prefer to do my scans first thing in the morning before eating or drinking anything to make the results as consistent as possible.
• Try to scan at a consistent time of day for follow-up scans. This helps ensure accurate comparisons.
• The scan itself takes about 6 to 10 minutes. You just lie still on an open table. The whole appointment is usually about 20 to 30 minutes including the results review.

Why Everyone Needs a Baseline DEXA Scan (Especially Women)

Establishing a baseline bone density measurement is one of the most important things you can do for your long-term health. It provides a starting point that allows you to track changes over time and catch problems like osteopenia or osteoporosis before they become serious.

Fortunately, anyone in Cincinnati can now get a DEXA scan without the need for a doctor’s order at DEXAFit. This is a big deal. It’s absolutely unacceptable that many women don’t get their first bone density test until their 50s or 60s, when they may already have significant bone loss.

While osteoporosis and osteopenia aren’t impossible to treat, it’s far easier to prevent them when you can see density trending in the wrong direction and take action early through resistance training, nutrition changes and supplementation.

If you’re a woman of any age, but especially if you’re in your 30s or 40s, getting a baseline bone density scan now gives you the data you need to protect your bones for decades to come. Don’t wait until your doctor finally orders one.

DEXA vs Other Body Composition Tests

If you’ve been researching body composition testing in Cincinnati, you may be wondering how DEXA compares to other options. Here’s a quick breakdown:

• DEXA vs Smart Scales (Bioelectrical Impedance): Smart scales estimate body fat using electrical signals that are heavily affected by hydration. They can be off by 5 to 10 percent or more. DEXA uses X-ray technology and is accurate within 1 to 2 percent. The Hume Body Pod claims to be on par with DEXA.
• DEXA vs InBody: InBody machines are common in gyms and also use bioelectrical impedance. They’re better than home scales but still less accurate than DEXA and they don’t measure bone density or visceral fat.
• DEXA vs BodPod: BodPod uses air displacement and is reasonably accurate for body fat, but doesn’t provide the regional breakdown (arms, legs, trunk) or bone density data that DEXA offers.
• DEXA vs Hydrostatic Weighing: Underwater weighing is accurate for overall body fat but requires full submersion, doesn’t give you regional data and isn’t widely available in Cincinnati.

For comprehensive body composition data including visceral fat, bone density, and regional muscle analysis, DEXA is the clear winner and it’s now readily accessible in Cincinnati.

DEXAFit App and Software

I loved the software DEXAFit uses and the app interface. The app shows all of your measurements and tracks changes over time with clear history charts. You can toggle between views for body fat, lean mass, visceral fat, bone density, and more, then compare yourself against peer group averages and optimal ranges. This app was far more advanced and user friendly than the results I’ve received at other DEXA providers, which typically give you a hard-to-read paper printout.

Ease of Scheduling and Overall Experience

DEXAFit Cincinnati offers a user-friendly experience that makes scheduling easy. They have flexible hours and convenient online booking, so fitting a health assessment into a busy schedule is hassle-free. The facility is clean, the equipment is state-of-the-art, and everything is done under expert supervision. From check-in to walking out with my results, the process was smooth and professional.

The Team and Dr. David DeMarco

The office team and doctor at DEXAFit Cincinnati were amazing. I had the opportunity to have a long conversation with the owner, Dr. David J. DeMarco. He is a graduate of Ohio State University College of Medicine and is board certified in both Family Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine.

His goal in bringing DEXAFit to Cincinnati was to empower people to make significant changes in their health based on relevant data. While many doctors don’t believe patients will actually make changes, Dr. DeMarco believes that hard data and knowledge empowers people to take informed action.

In addition to DEXAFit, Dr. DeMarco has also launched OptimizeMD, a concierge primary care clinic built around DEXA, VO2 max and longevity-focused testing. If you’re looking to not only prevent major health problems like osteoporosis and sarcopenia but truly optimize all areas of your health with the support of a doctor who stays current on the latest research, OptimizeMD is worth looking into.

Where to Get a DEXA Scan in Cincinnati: All Options

While DEXAFit is my personal recommendation, here are the other DEXA scan options available in the Cincinnati area so you can make the best decision for your needs:

• DEXAFit Cincinnati (Montgomery): Full body composition plus bone density, VO2 max, RMR. No doctor’s order needed. $199/scan. My top pick.
• Live Lean Rx (Cincinnati): DEXA body composition scans with a focus on fitness and fat loss tracking. Says coming soon.
• Fitnescity: Online booking platform that coordinates DEXA scans at partner locations in northern Cincinnati, Hamilton, Mason, and nearby Kentucky cities. Physician’s order included. Expensive.
• ProScan Pink Ribbon Center (Red Bank): Medical DEXA for bone density (not full body composition). Focused on women’s health. May require a doctor’s referral.
• Inertia Medical (Fairfield) Health optimization clinic offering DEXA body composition scans alongside hormone therapy, blood work, IV hydration, and other wellness services. Self-pay clinic, no referral needed.

If you want the full body composition experience with fat, muscle, visceral fat, bone density, and the tracking app, DEXAFit is the most comprehensive option currently available in Cincinnati without needing a doctor’s order.