Effect of 12-Week Swimming Training on Body Composition in Young Women.

Malgorzata Charmas,Wilhelm Gromisz

doi:10.3390/ijerph16030346

Abstract

Background: Systematic physical activity can permanently prevent disadvantageous developments in the human body. This is very important especially for women, for whom the maintenance of a lean body in good shape is sometimes a primary consideration. However, in most cases, this activity is taken randomly and does not produce the desired effects such as reducing body fat. The purpose of the study was to evaluate changes in female body composition induced by 12 weeks of swimming training compared to sedentary controls. Methods: Training sessions occurred three times per week (60 min/session). Height, body mass, and waist/hip circumference and waist/hips ratio (WHR) were measured. Body cell mass (BCM), total body water (TBW), extracellular (ECW) and intracellular water (ICW), fat mass (FM), lean mass (FFM), and muscle mass (MM) were measured using bioelectrical impedance (pre/post). Results: Training elicited decreases in hip circumference and increase in WHR. No changes were recorded in BCM, TBW, ECW, ICW, FM, FFM, and MM. Controls experienced decreases in values of BCM, ICW, and MM and increases in ECW. Conclusion: The applied swimming training did not significantly affect the body composition parameters. Inactivity also triggered a tendency toward unhealthy movement of water from the intracellular to extracellular space.

Highlights

Interest in the composition of the human body has been significantly growing with emphasis on maintaining a good ratio of components such as fat mass and lean body mass including muscle mass and water [1,2]
In the case of the women participating in this experiment we found total body water (TBW) values lower than the norm
The applied training resulted in an insignificant decrease in body fat tissue, with a concurrent an insignificant increase in lean body mass

Summary

Introduction

Interest in the composition of the human body has been significantly growing with emphasis on maintaining a good ratio of components such as fat mass and lean body mass including muscle mass and water [1,2]. Numerous studies have shown that excess body fat and its specific depositing, depending on gender, significantly increases the risk of ischemic heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, or various forms of cancer [9,10,11,12,13,14]. Systematic physical activity can permanently prevent disadvantageous developments in the human body. This is very important especially for women, for whom the maintenance of a lean body in good shape is sometimes a primary consideration. Body cell mass (BCM), total body water (TBW), extracellular (ECW) and intracellular water (ICW), fat mass (FM), lean mass (FFM), and muscle mass (MM)

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion