BODY COMPOSITION AND ENERGY BALANCE CHANGES IN FEMALE RUGBY ATHLETES ACROSS ONE COMPETITIVE SEASON

Abstract

BODY COMPOSITION AND ENERGY BALANCE CHANGES IN FEMALE RUGBY ATHLETES ACROSS ONE COMPETETIVE SEASON Boring J, Moon JM, Hagele A, Russo T, Ratliff KM, Blumkaitis JC, Stecker R, Kerksick CM, Exercise and Performance Nutrition Laboratory, Lindenwood University, St. Charles, MO Achieving and maintaining energy balance (EB) is a key nutritional goal for competing athletes. Recently published formulas have allowed for the estimation of EB using measured body composition values, but limited data is available in team sport athletes, particularly female rugby athletes. PURPOSE: To determine the changes in EB in female rugby athletes across an entire competitive season by assessing body composition using DEXA at three time points: pre-season, post-season and off-season. METHODS: Female rugby athletes (Mean ± SD; 18.5 ± 0.8 yrs, 166.8 ± 4.0 cm, 73.7 ± 9.73 kg, 28.9 ± 4.3 % fat, n=8) had three DEXA scans completed during pre-season (day 0-30), post-season (day 100 - 120) , and off-season (day 300-365) for determination of fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM), and percent body fat. Changes in FFM and FM between scans were assessed for changes across the season in addition to estimating EB (EB (kcal•d-1) = 1.0 + 9.5 ). Data was analyzed using factorial ANOVA with repeated measures on time with paired samples t-test being used for post-hoc comparisons. A p-value of 0.05 was used for statistical determinations. RESULTS: No statistically significant changes were noted for fat mass (p = 0.83), fat-free mass (p = 0.76), or percent body fat (p = 0.53) were observed across the competitive season (see Table 1). In addition, EB did not exhibit any changes (p = 0.77) across the season (EB = -9.96 ± 69.3 kcals/day). CONCLUSIONS: Over the measured time period, female rugby athletes were found to largely be in energy balance as no statistically significant changes were observed for body composition or EB. These data help to inform coaches and athletes about the anticipated energy needs within the sport of rugby.