BODY COMPOSITION AMONG UNIVERSITY FEMALE ATHLETES OF TEAM SPORTS

Abstract

ABSTRACT Introduction: The assessment of body composition in female athletes of different sports is important for health monitoring. Objective: To compare body composition in university athletes of different team sports (indoor soccer, flag football and volleyball). Methods: A cross-sectional study carried out with 45 female athletes, aged 18 to 35 years (22.8 ± 3.55). The dependent variables were body fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM) measured by air displacement plethysmography. Bone mineral content, adjusted for height (BMC/height) and bone mineral density (BMD), were measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. The independent variable was sport [flag football (n = 12); indoor soccer (n = 20); volleyball (n = 13)] and the covariates were age (complete years), training volume (minutes per week) and length of time playing the sport (complete years). Analysis of covariance was used. Results: Adjusting the model for covariates, volleyball athletes (19.27 kg ± 2.20) presented higher FM values compared to the flag football (16.00 kg ± 1.70) and indoor soccer players (12.20 kg ± 1.30). There was no significant difference in FFM, BMC/height and total BMD between sports, even after adjusting for covariates. Conclusion: Volleyball athletes presented higher FM compared to flag football and indoor soccer athletes. There were no differences in FFM, BMC/height and BMD among the players of the different team sports. This study can help coaches and other sports professionals to prevent injuries to athletes in sports such as higher FM (volleyball), or to prevent diseases such as menstrual irregularities, which are common in athletes who may have low levels of body fat (indoor soccer players), this being one of the risk factors for the female athlete triad (eating disorders, menstrual irregularities and low BMD). Level of evidence III; Retrospective comparative study .