Abstract
Soccer referees are a specific group in the sports population that are receiving increasing attention from sports scientists. A lower fat mass percentage (FM%) is a useful parameter to monitor fitness status and aerobic performance, while being able to evaluate it with a simple and quick field-based method can allow a regular assessment. The aim of this study was to provide a specific profile for referees based on morphological and body composition features while comparing the accuracy of different skinfold-based equations in estimating FM% in a cohort of soccer referees. Forty-three elite international soccer referees (age 38.8 ± 3.6 years), who participated in the 2018 Russian World Cup, underwent body composition assessments with skinfold thickness and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Six equations used to derive FM% from skinfold thickness were compared with DXA measurements. The percentage of body fat estimated using DXA was 18.2 ± 4.1%, whereas skinfold-based FM% assessed from the six formulas ranged between 11.0% ± 1.7% to 15.6% ± 2.4%. Among the six equations considered, the Faulkner’s formula showed the highest correlation with FM% estimated by DXA (r = 0.77; R2 = 0.59 p < 0.001). Additionally, a new skinfold-based equation was developed: FM% = 8.386 + (0.478 × iliac crest skinfold) + (0.395 × abdominal skinfold, r = 0.78; R2 = 0.61; standard error of the estimate (SEE) = 2.62 %; p < 0.001). Due to these findings, national and international federations will now be able to perform regular body composition assessments using skinfold measurements.
Highlights
No matter the competition level, there is no official soccer game without the presence of the 23rd key element: the referee
Contrary to previous studies of elite soccer players [25,26], data collected in the present study showed that measurements of the lower body skinfolds are not accurate when predicting FM%
Our results showed that different sums of skinfolds measured on the referees showed moderate to large correlations with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) data, used as a criterion method
Summary
No matter the competition level, there is no official soccer game without the presence of the 23rd key element: the referee. There are significant differences between games, referees cover on average a distance between 9 and 13 km per game, depending on the level of competition [3,7,8,9]. Due to the high-intensity matches in recent years [10] and as a consequence of the increase in physical demand there is a trend towards a decrease in body mass index (BMI) and body fat levels in elite referees [11]. Recent studies on elite referees (FIFA) show lower levels of BMI and body fat than previously reported in Premier League referees [12,13]
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