Body Composition in Spanish Soccer Referees

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine body fat of elite Spanish soccer referees and assistant referees by division, role and age group. Participants were 243 males (age 32.4 ± 5.3 years, weight 72.3 ± 6.2 kg, height 179.1 ± 5.9 cm and body mass index 22.5 ± 1.4) who belonged to the Referees Technical Committee of the Royal Spanish Soccer Federation. A portable bioelectrical impedance analyser TANITA BC 418-MA was used to estimate the percentage of body fat (%BF). In the first analysis, they were classified by division and role: 158 elite Spanish league referees (n = 20 first-division referees; n = 22 second-division referees and n = 116 second-B-division referees) and 85 elite Spanish league assistant referees (n = 40 first-division assistant referees and n = 45 second-division assistant referees). In the second analysis, they were divided into three age groups as previously described by Castagna: young (Y, 27–32 years, n = 144), average (A, 33–38 years, n = 66) and senior (S, 39–45 years, n = 33). Analysing by division and role, the first-division referees were the oldest and the second-B-division referees were the youngest. First- and second-B-division referees had lower total %BF than first- and second-division assistant referees (9.6% and 9.8% vs 12.8% and 12.0%, p < 0.05). Comparing by age group, Y group had lower %BF than A and S groups (10.2% vs 11.4% and 12%, p < 0.05), but no differences were found between A and S groups. These results showed that first- and second-B-division referees presented more healthy values of %BF than first- and second-division assistants. By age group, Y group had the lowest %BF.