Metabolic Characteristics of Elite Athletes: Role of Weight Status in HOMA values

Abstract

PURPOSE: To determine whether elite athletes display distinct characteristics in insulin sensitivity compared to physically active non-athletes. METHODS: a cross-sectional study was performed to compare the values of homeostatic metabolic assessment (HOMA) and liver function test for the elite athletes from 36 sports disciplines (E group, N=758) and physically active controls (C group, N= 670). RESULTS: Fasting plasma glucose was not significantly different between groups. But four overweight athletes (BMI> 25) were found to reach pre-diabetes level (FPG> 100 mg). Mean BMI, HOMA, liver enzyme levels (GOT and GPT), and blood pressure (BP) of the E group were slightly greater than those of the C group. These metabolic measures were increased with BMI levels for both groups. The E group displays a substantially greater proportion of the subjects with BMI>30 than the C group. There were 22 sports disciplines displayed significantly greater mean BMI values above control. The relationships between metabolic measures (including insulin, HOMA, liver enzyme values, and BP) and BMI were not displayed in a simple linear manner. In particular, outlier numbers of HOMA, GPT, and BP above 95% confidence interval (CI) limit were significantly increased with BMI. For the low BMI quartiles (BMI 15-21.6), HOMA and BP in the E group were greater above control. CONCLUSIONS: This study found greater mean HOMA values of the elite athlete above physically active control. Greater prevalence of obesity in athletes appears to be a partial contributor for greater HOMA value, suggesting that weight control for elite athlete demands a close attention for their future health.