U of M's 'Dexalytics' system will be used by NFL teams at next week's scouting combine

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - In a time where athletes are faster and stronger than ever before, a small lab at the University of Minnesota is finding itself on the cutting edge of analyzing athletic advantages.

The program is called “Dexalytics”; a method to measure the human body from the inside out by taking into account muscle and fat make-up in each individual.

“We see this as a game-changing technology,” says Ryan Warren, Director of Educational Technology Innovations.

Using a device originally designed to detect bone mass for osteoporosis, the device scans the body from head to toe in a matter of minutes to deliver an individualized score compared to elite baselines. 

“This is going to give them a much deeper insight into what their body type is,” explains Tyler Bosch of the University of Minnesota School of Kinesiology. “Kind of what their optimal area might be and where their deficiencies might be.”

For example, this system can take a football player and compare that athlete to another. It can also determine what that player would look like at another position or even forecast how that person will look in the future.

“Dexalytics” is on track for ultimate test in a few days at the NFL Combine. The team will measure all 300 or more potential pro football players with this new software.

“We’ll talk with coaches and a lot of things that they are a gut feeling,” Donald Dengel with the University of Minnesota School of Kinesiology says. “Now we’re starting to say that ‘gut feel’ is good, but let’s put science with it.”

It’s all in an effort to lead an NFL team to the next big thing on the field with equipment that is the equivalent in sports science.

“One of the things we want to do is to take what we’ve done here for college sports and professional sports, and bring it to more of a consumer level,” Warren says. “So anyone can walk in off of the street and look at a Dexalytics score and understand more about their body than they ever have.”