Abstract
Bioimpedance standards are well established for the normal healthy population and in clinical settings, but they are not available for many sports categories. The aim of this study was to develop reference values for male and female athletes using classic bioimpedance vector analysis (BIVA). In this study, 1556 athletes engaged in different sports were evaluated during their off-season period. A tetrapolar bioelectrical impedance analyzer was used to determine measurements of resistance (R) and reactance (Xc). The classic BIVA procedure, which corrects bioelectrical values for body height, was applied, and fat-free mass, fat mass, and total body water were estimated. In order to verify the need for specific references, classic bioelectrical values were compared to the reference values for the general male and female populations. Additionally, athletes were divided into three groups: endurance, velocity/power, and team sports. In comparison with the general healthy male and female populations, the mean vectors of the athletes showed a shift to the left on the R–Xc graph. Considering the same set of modalities, BIVA confidence graphs showed that male and female endurance athletes presented lower body fluids, fat mass, and fat-free mass than other sets of modalities. This study provides BIVA reference values for an athletic population that can be used as a standard for assessing body composition in male and female athletes.
Highlights
The analysis of body composition (BC) is a critical component in the sports field, given its relationship to physical performance [1]
A univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Bonferroni post-hoc tests for Results are presented as mean ± SD
A univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Bonferroni post-hoc tests for differences in the mean impedance vectors between groups
Summary
The analysis of body composition (BC) is a critical component in the sports field, given its relationship to physical performance [1]. Several techniques are used to assess BC in athletes. These include underwater weighing (densitometry), dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and anthropometric measurements. Densitometry and DXA are the most accurate methods to evaluate BC, they are expensive and impractical for field use because they require large, specialized equipment. Bioimpedance vector analysis (BIVA) has received attention in the sports science field as a method to obtain a qualitative assessment of BC [2]. BIA data (i.e., resistance (R) and reactance (Xc)), through BIVA, are used to evaluate cellular function and body fluid content. This method plots the impedance parameters standardized for
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