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Body Composition, Performance and Health among Young Athletes

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Exercise and Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2022) | Viewed by 20145

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Gabriele Mascherini

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Guest Editor

Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
Interests: body composition; young athletes; exercise as medicine; physical activity; sport; youth sport; cardiovascular health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Pascal Izzicupo

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Assistant Guest Editor

Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University “G. D’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Interests: kinanthropometry; bioelectrical impedance analysis; physical activity; physical activity measurement; exercise; body composition; BIA vector analysis; sport; maturity offset
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The study of body composition is experiencing increased attention and interest in the scientific community. Furthermore, there is an ever-growing number of applications for this form of research within the world of exercise and sports science.

Initially, the focus on this issue involved the quantitative estimation of fat mass. It is now known how different tissues—such as adipose and muscle tissues—affect both health and performance through complex signaling pathways.

Currently, numerous specific tools are available for the assessment of human body composition. However, our bodies are made up from various different tissues; therefore, research projects should be led by both the purpose and the methodology used to assess body composition.

In particular, a current topic of research interest includes the assessment of body composition in young athletes: performance, health and state of maturation are correlated on the basis of the existing relationship with the specific body compartments analyzed.

The purpose of this collection of research is to contribute information regarding:

the effect of body composition on health and performance during youth;
the relationship between body composition and state of maturity;
the effect of sport on body composition and on the state of maturation.

Dr. Gabriele Mascherini
Dr. Pascal Izzicupo
Guest Editors

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Keywords

Anthropometry
Youth sport
Fat mass
Maturity
Bone density
Hydration status
Growth
Fat-free mass
DEXA
Bioelectrical impedance analysis.

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 759 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of a Mixed Exercise Program on Overweight and Obese Children and Adolescents: A Pilot, Uncontrolled Study

by Roberto Pippi, Gabriele Mascherini, Pascal Izzicupo, Vittorio Bini and Carmine Giuseppe Fanelli

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(15), 9258; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159258 - 28 Jul 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2707

Abstract

Pediatric excess weight has reached severity worldwide, affecting physical health. Decreasing weight and body mass index (BMI) after exercise intervention reduces the cardiometabolic consequences; the role of age and gender on the effectiveness of exercise in overweight youth was debated in this study. A total of 138 overweight/obese young (75 girls, 63 boys) were recruited at Perugia (Italy) University to follow an exercise program. Participants were allocated into two groups (children, n = 88 and adolescents, n = 50). The study aimed to verify the efficacy of a mixed resistance–endurance exercise program in anthropometric and physical performance measures, evaluating the influence of gender and age on two groups of young overweight/obese participants. In children, we observed a statistically significant improvement in fat mass percentage, fat-free mass, waist circumference (WC), fat mass, as well as in strength, endurance, speed, and flexibility measures. We also observed reduced WC and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) values in girls. In the adolescents’ subgroup, results showed a statistically significant variation in fat mass percentage, BMI, WC, and WHtR, and strength of the upper and lower limbs; we also observed a weight reduction in girls. A clinical approach, with the combination of strength and dynamometric tests plus the body composition study using air plethysmography methodology, is health-effective and allows for the monitoring of the efficacy of an exercise program in overweight/obese young people. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Body Composition, Performance and Health among Young Athletes)

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8 pages, 337 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Body Composition of Female Air Force Personnel: A Comparative Study of Aircrew, Airplane, and Helicopter Pilots

by Álvaro Bustamante-Sánchez, Pantelis T. Nikolaidis and Vicente Javier Clemente-Suárez

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(14), 8640; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148640 - 15 Jul 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2100

Abstract

This research aimed to analyze the body composition (BC) of different groups of women aircrew units in the Spanish Air Forces for a better understanding and improvement of their operability. Specifically, 184 female aircrew members were analyzed and classified into specialties (38 airplane pilots, age: 32.8 ± 10.8; 26 helicopter pilots, age: 32.0 ± 9.18; and 120 transport aircrew, age: 36.9 ± 8.18). The women’s BC was analyzed with an InBody720 bioimpedance device previously used in the military population. There were differences in the BC among specialties, although there were similarities between airplane and helicopter pilots. Airplane (24.0% ± 10.4%) and helicopter pilots (22.6 ± 6.32%) had a smaller percentage of body fat mass than transport aircrew (26.3 ± 7.51%), but there was uniformity among groups in skeletal muscle mass and soft lean mass. We found no differences in body water among specialties. Differences in BCs were previously reported for men in the air force, and these results in women showed similarities for different job entry requirements, different training needs, and different occupational behaviors among units in the Air Force. These results help to deepen the previous knowledge of women’s BC standards in military units. Although pilots are primarily responsible for the aircraft, healthy habits should be encouraged to keep fit and improve the performance of all aircrew members both in flight and when they are deployed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Body Composition, Performance and Health among Young Athletes)

10 pages, 1180 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Concordance between Laboratory and Field Methods for the Assessment of Body Fat in Olympic Combat Athletes: Analysis of the Influence of Adiposity

by María Fernandez-del-Valle, Hugo Olmedillas, Nieves Palacios Gil de Antuñano, Ana María Ribas, Pablo Martínez-Camblor, Ángela García-Gonzalez, Natalia Úbeda and Eduardo Iglesias-Gutiérrez

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(8), 4493; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19084493 - 8 Apr 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2547

Abstract

Combat sports athletes competing in the same discipline exhibit notable and substantial differences in body weight, body composition (BC) and adiposity. No studies have considered the influence of adiposity levels in the agreement between different BC assessment methods. The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of adiposity in the agreement between different methods used to estimate relative body fat (%BF) in Olympic combat sport athletes. A total of 38 male athletes were evaluated using air displacement plethysmography and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) as laboratory methods, and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), near-infrared interactance (NIR) and anthropometry as field methods. All methods were compared to DXA. Agreement analyses were performed by means of individual intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for each method compared to DXA, Bland–Altman plots and paired Student t-tests. The ICCs for the different methods compared to DXA were analyzed, considering tertiles of %BF, tertiles of body weight and type of sport. For the whole group, individual ICCs oscillated between 0.806 for BIA and 0.942 for anthropometry. BIA showed a statistically significant underestimation of %BF when compared to DXA. The agreement between every method and DXA was not affected by %BF, but it was highest in athletes at the highest %BF tertile (>13%). The ICC between NIR and DXA was poor in 72–82 kg athletes. Our results indicate that field methods are useful for routine %BF analysis, and that anthropometry is particularly appropriate, as it showed the highest accuracy irrespective of the athletes’ adiposity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Body Composition, Performance and Health among Young Athletes)

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11 pages, 746 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Age, Gender and Technical Experience on Three Motor Coordination Skills in Children Practicing Taekwondo

by Stefanos Boutios, Giovanni Fiorilli, Andrea Buonsenso, Panagiotis Daniilidis, Marco Centorbi, Mariano Intrieri and Alessandra di Cagno

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(11), 5998; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18115998 - 3 Jun 2021

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 4451

Abstract

The study aim was to investigate the age, gender and technical level on motor coordination abilities of Taekwondo children. One hundred and fifteen children (83 male, 32 female), aged 7.76 ± 1.71 years, divided in three different groups, under 8 (5–7 years), under 10 (8–9 years) and under 12 (10–11 years), underwent three coordination skills tests: the ruler drop test (RDT), assessing visual reaction time, the hexagonal test (HT), assessing agility, and the target kick test (TKT), assessing kicking ability. MANOVA showed significant gender differences for TKT, in which females showed higher scores than males (p = 0.033). Significant differences were found in HT and TKT, where the under 12 group showed higher scores than younger athletes (p < 0.001). No differences amongst different age groups were found in RDT, showing that this could be a good predictor of Taekwondo performance, assessed at an early stage. High-level athletes showed better scores in all the tests than the low levels, as it was expected. Coordinative performance improves with age and is positively influenced by practicing a sports activity. The predisposition to a particular sport with a well-planned training may lead to a motor proficiency comparable to that reached by older athletes and better than same-age athletes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Body Composition, Performance and Health among Young Athletes)

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12 pages, 974 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Somatic Characteristics and Special Motor Fitness of Young Top-Level Polish Table Tennis Players

by Beata Pluta, Szymon Galas, Magdalena Krzykała, Marcin Andrzejewski and Karolina Podciechowska

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(10), 5279; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18105279 - 16 May 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3235

Abstract

In the present study, we aimed to identify the impact of chosen anthropometric measurements on the special physical fitness of elite junior table tennis players at different stages of sport training. A total of 87 table tennis players aged 13.4 ± 1.74 years (43.7% girls and 56.3% boys) from two Polish teams were analyzed. The anthropometry measurements included height, sitting height, body weight, arm span, humerus and femur breadths, five skinfold thicknesses, and five girths were assessed. Participants’ somatotypes were also calculated using the Heath–Carter method as well as body mass index (BMI), which was constructed using the lambda, mu, sigma (LMS) method. Body composition via a bioelectric impedance analysis was also analyzed. The level of special fitness of athletes was determined using tests from the Table Tennis Specific Battery Test, assessing reaction and displacement speeds. Mesomorphic (4.1) and ectomorphic (3.8) profiles were registered for boys and girls, respectively. Boys achieved higher scores than girls for almost all variables, with the exception of ectomorphic somatotype (p = 0.274), skinfold triceps (p = 0.444), and calf skinfold medial (p = 0.609). The relationship between the body height, thickness of the skinfolds of the triceps and suprailiac, biceps, and waist circumference and arm span in all three motor tests was observed, simultaneously significantly higher results were obtained by competitors at the specialist stage of training. Knowledge of the somatic and motor characteristics of young athletes can help coaches in creating a specific training program for improved health and performance, taking into consideration the athletes’ biological development, potential, and pre-disposition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Body Composition, Performance and Health among Young Athletes)

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13 pages, 1897 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phase Angle Is Related to 10 m and 30 m Sprint Time and Repeated-Sprint Ability in Young Male Soccer Players

by Priscila Custódio Martins, Anderson Santiago Teixeira, Luiz Guilherme ANTONACCI Guglielmo, Juliana Sabino Francisco, Diego Augusto Santos Silva, Fábio Yuzo Nakamura and Luiz Rodrigo Augustemak de Lima

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(9), 4405; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094405 - 21 Apr 2021

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 3788

Abstract

Objective: To examine the association between phase angle (PhA) and bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA) and components of physical performance in male youth soccer players. Design: Cross-sectional. Methods: Sixty-two players from two professional soccer academies were recruited. Electrical bioimpedance was used to obtain the PhA and BIVA. Body fat (BF) and lean soft tissue mass (LSTM) were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. All players completed physical tests including the standing long jump (SLJ), Carminatti’s test (peak speed at the end of the test, PS_T-CAR), 10 m and 30 m straight-line sprints, and repeated-sprint ability (RSA) test (RSAbest and RSAmean times). Results: Adjusting for chronological age, BF, and LSTM, multiple regression analysis outputs showed that PhA remained inversely related to RSAmean (β = −0.362; p < 0.001), RSAbest (β = −0.239; p = 0.020), 10 m (β = −0.379; p = 0.012), and 30 m (β = −0.438; p < 0.001) sprint times, while the association with PS_T-CAR and SLJ performance were statistically non-significant. In addition, BIVA showed that differences in confidence ellipses were found between athletes in the reference population and the study sample (p < 0.05). The tolerance ellipses indicated that the athletes in the present study had more total body water (TCW) and lower proportions of intracellular water (ICW) to extracellular water (ECW). The reference population had more TCW and ICW/ECW. Conclusions: Our results suggest that young soccer players with higher PhA values, indicating better cell integrity and functionality, have better performance in typical anaerobic running activities, such as sprinting speed and RSA performance, adjusted to age and body composition characteristics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Body Composition, Performance and Health among Young Athletes)

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