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Body Composition Assessment: Methods, Validity, and Applications
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Body Composition Assessment: Methods, Validity, and Applications

A special issue of Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology (ISSN 2411-5142). This special issue belongs to the section "Sports Medicine and Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 1573

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Alfredo Irurtia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
INEFC-Barcelona Research Group on Sport Sciences (GRCE), National Institute of Physical Education of Catalonia (INEFC), University of Barcelona, 08038 Barcelona, Spain
Interests: body composition; nutritional education; youth sports; sports performance
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue invites original research, methodological papers, systematic reviews, and brief communications on body composition assessment across health, performance, and clinical contexts. We particularly welcome studies on the validity, reliability, and sensitivity to change of established and emerging tools, including DXA, BIA and localized/segmental/ML-BIA, ultrasound, MRI/CT, 3D optical scanning, isotope methods, and field-based approaches. Topics of interest include standardization and quality control, cross-platform calibration, measurement error and minimal detectable changes, comparisons between techniques, and multimodal integration (e.g., coupling imaging with bioimpedance or hematological/biochemical markers). We also encourage applications in athlete monitoring (e.g., female athletes, youth, weight-category and endurance sports), aging and sarcopenia, rehabilitation, cardiometabolic risk, and energy availability. Papers addressing ethical, practical, and cost-effectiveness considerations, open data, and reporting guidelines are welcome. Our aim is to advance rigorous, transparent, and actionable body composition assessment that informs practice and research.

Prof. Dr. Alfredo Irurtia
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • body composition technology
  • DXA
  • BIA
  • BIVA
  • ultrasound
  • anthropometry
  • athlete monitoring
  • health monitoring
  • aging, sarcopenia, and rehabilitation
  • multimodal integration of methods

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 606 KB  
Article
The Muscle-Bone Unit in Male Elite Soccer Players Aged 14–19
by Valentina Cavedon, Carlo Zancanaro and Chiara Milanese
J. Funct. Morphol. Kinesiol. 2025, 10(4), 432; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk10040432 - 5 Nov 2025
Viewed by 435
Abstract
Background: Muscle and bone show reciprocal interactions and are associated in a muscle-bone unit. The muscle-bone unit has been investigated to a very limited extent in soccer players. The objective of this work was to investigate in detail the muscle-bone unit in [...] Read more.
Background: Muscle and bone show reciprocal interactions and are associated in a muscle-bone unit. The muscle-bone unit has been investigated to a very limited extent in soccer players. The objective of this work was to investigate in detail the muscle-bone unit in male youth elite soccer players. Methods: Bone mineral and lean mass were measured with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The functional muscle-bone unit (fMBU) and the muscle-to-bone ratio (MBR) were calculated from the DXA output in a sample of players aged 14–19 (n = 193) playing in the youth squads of an Italian Serie A team. Results: Statistically significant (p < 0.05) correlations were found between lean mass variables and bone mineral content and density, also after adjusting for age, body mass, stature, maturity, and ethnicity (White/Black). fMBU and MBR were statistically significantly associated with age, body mass, stature, maturity, and ethnicity. Linear regression showed that body lean mass was the strongest predictor for bone mineral content and density. Age was a statistically significant predictor for fMBU and MBR. Playing position did not show any statistically significant relationship with bone mineral content and density, as well as fMBU or MBR. Centiles for fMBU and MBR were calculated as a reference. Conclusions: This work is the first detailed characterization of the muscle-to-bone relationship in soccer players. It is expected to be of use for sport scientists and the wide community of sportsmen and professionals involved in soccer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Body Composition Assessment: Methods, Validity, and Applications)
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Review

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25 pages, 2302 KB  
Review
Reference Tolerance Ellipses in Bioelectrical Impedance Vector Analysis Across General, Pediatric, Pathological, and Athletic Populations: A Scoping Review
by Sofia Serafini, Gabriele Mascherini, Raquel Vaquero-Cristóbal, Francisco Esparza-Ros, Francesco Campa and Pascal Izzicupo
J. Funct. Morphol. Kinesiol. 2025, 10(4), 415; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk10040415 - 22 Oct 2025
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Abstract
Background: Bioelectrical Impedance Vector Analysis (BIVA) is a qualitative method that standardizes resistance and reactance relative to stature (R/H and Xc/H) and plots them as vectors on an R-Xc graph. This equation-free approach assesses body composition, allowing for the evaluation of hydration [...] Read more.
Background: Bioelectrical Impedance Vector Analysis (BIVA) is a qualitative method that standardizes resistance and reactance relative to stature (R/H and Xc/H) and plots them as vectors on an R-Xc graph. This equation-free approach assesses body composition, allowing for the evaluation of hydration status and cellular integrity through tolerance ellipses. This study aimed to systematically map BIVA reference ellipses across general, pediatric, pathological, and athletic populations. Methods: A scoping review was conducted according to PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Five databases were searched. Extracted data included (a) sample characteristics (sample size, age, sex, BMI, country, ethnicity), (b) population type, (c) analyzer specifications, and (d) R/H and Xc/H means, standard deviations, and correlation values. Results: A total of 53 studies published between 1994 and July 2025 were included. From these, 508 tolerance ellipses were identified: 281 for the general population (18–92 years), 133 for children/adolescents (0–18 years), 49 for athletes, and 45 for pathological groups. Studies were primarily conducted in Europe and the Americas, using 11 analyzers with variations in measurement protocols, including body side, posture, and electrode placement. Conclusions: This scoping review categorizes the existing BIVA tolerance ellipses by population type, sex, age, BMI, device used, and measurement protocol. The structured presentation is intended to guide researchers, clinicians, nutritionists, and sports professionals in selecting appropriate reference ellipses tailored to specific populations and contexts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Body Composition Assessment: Methods, Validity, and Applications)
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