32nd Annual Student Research Conference
Tracking Body Composition Across a Year Training Cycle in College Soccer Players
Jacob L. Gunn* and Ian N. McCluskey
Prof. Liz Jorn and Dr. Jerry Mayhew, Faculty Mentors
Body composition assessment is now a fundamental aspect of athletic training. The purpose of the study was to assess the variations in body composition over a year-long training cycle. College soccer players (n = 13, age = 18-22 yrs) were measured 4 times across a training season for body composition by 2 bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA) techniques and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). A phase x method factorial ANOVA indicated body mass and %fat did not change significantly across the year. However, both BIA devices yielded significantly lower %fat values than DXA. Correlations of DXA with a hand-held BIA (r = 0.47 to 0.69) and leg-to-leg BIA (r = 0.55 to 0.69) were significant but accounted for no more than 48% of the common variance between them. Body composition does not appear to change across a yearly training cycle in soccer players and can be tracked adequately by simple BIA devices.
Keywords: body composition, skinfold, athletes, body fat, DXA, BIA, soccer, body mass
Topic(s):Exercise Science
Health Science
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: 5-2
Location: SUB GEO
Time: 3:00