Authors: Jason C. Casey1, Robert L. Herron2, and Michael R. Esco3
1Department
of Kinesiology, University of North Georgia, Oakwood, GA, USA
2Department of Sports Management, United States Sports Academy,
Daphne, AL, USA
3Department of Kinesiology, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa,
AL, USA
Corresponding Author:
Robert L. Herron, MA, CSCS*D, ACSM-RCEP
1 Academy Drive
Daphne Al, 36526
rherron@ussa.edu
251-626-3303
Jason C. Casey,
PhD, CSCS*D, EP-C is an Assistant Professor of Kinesiology at the University of
North Georgia in Oakwood, GA. His research interests focus on fatigue and
recovery associated with exercise, athlete monitoring, and sport-related
measurement issues.
Robert L. Herron, MA, CSCS*D, ACSM-RECP is
currently faculty member and Sport Management doctoral student at the United
States Sports Academy. Robert’s areas of
research interest include: measurement and evaluation in sport-related research
and recovery from exercise stressors or sport injuries.
Michael R. Esco, PhD, CSCS*D, FACSM is an associate professor of exercise physiology in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Alabama. His research interests are in the areas of heart rate variability, body composition, athletic monitoring, and cardiovascular physiology.
Comparison of BMI-based equations and
plethysmography for estimating body fat in female collegiate gymnasts
ABSTRACT
The purpose of
this study was to assess the utility of using BMI-based equations (BEQ) to
estimate body-fat percentage (BF%) in female-collegiate gymnasts. As such, the agreement between BF% estimates
with BEQ and air-displacement plethysmography
(AP) were compared in twenty-two gymnasts (n = 22). Body mass, height, and BF% were assessed via
AP and BEQ [Jackson et al. (JBMI), Deurenberg et al. (DBMI),
and Womersley & Durnin (WBMI)]. Results: The assessments
produced the following estimated BF%: AP = 20.3 ± 3.6%; JBMI = 26.9
± 3.9%; DBMI = 26.4 ± 2.2%; and WBMI = 27.9 ± 2.5%. BF%
estimated via AP was significantly lower (p < 0.001) than each BEQ. Weak
correlations were found between AP and BEQ (JBMI, r = 0.12; DBMI,
r = 0.07; WBMI, r = 0.12). The limits of agreement (constant error ±
1.96 SD) for each BEQ compared to AP were: JBMI = 6.6 ± 9.5%;
DBMI = 6.1 ± 7.8%; and WBMI = 7.6 ± 8.0%. These results
suggest a wide range of individual differences existed between BEQ and AP.
Furthermore, BEQ significantly overestimated BF% relative to AP in this
gymnastics population. Coaches and sport
practitioners are in need of a quick, practical, inexpensive, and accurate
method of body composition assessment. Based on this study, BEQ does not meet
the needs of the practitioner when compared to AP. As a result, practitioners
in the field need to consider other field methods of predicting BF% in
collegiate female gymnasts.
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