Body Composition Relates Poorly to Performance in NCAA Division III Football Players

We assessed body composition (height, body mass, body mass index, body fat by densitometry, fat mass, fat-free mass, and lean/fat ratio) and performance (10- and 40-yd sprints, pro shuttle run, vertical jump, sit and reach, and bench press) in 77 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III football players. Data were analyzed by position and playing status. Significant differences (p less than or equal to 0.05) were found between positions for all body composition measurements and all performance tests except the sit and reach. Starters outperformed nonstarters in all performance tests except the 10-yd sprint and sit and reach (p less than or equal to 0.05). Correlations (r) for percent body fat and performance tests ranged from 0.52 to 0.70, and common variance with the effects of body mass removed ranged from 8 to 23%. Percent body fat is not closely correlated with results of commonly administered performance tests in Division III football players

Ponderal Somatograms Assess Changes in Anthropometric Measurements Over an Academic Year in Division III Collegiate Football Players

Ponderal somatograms evaluate body size and shape by converting muscular (shoulders, chest, biceps, forearm, thigh, calf) and nonmuscular (abdomen, hips, knee, ankle, wrist) girths into ponderal equivalent (PE) values. Anthropometric measurements, including stature, body mass, girths, and percent body fat by densitometry were collected in 54 Division III football players in preseason camp (fall) and at the beginning (winter) and end (spring) of the team strength and conditioning program. PE values were calculated for each girth as PE, kg = (girth, cm / k) squared x stature, dm, where k = k constant from Behnke\u27s reference man. PE values were compared to body mass to indicate overdevelopment (PE is greater than body mass) and underdevelopment (PE is less than body mass) at specific girth sites. From fall to winter, body mass (+1.6 kg), percent fat (+1.3%), fat mass (+1.6 kg), nonmuscular abdominal and hip girths (+2.1 cm, +1.5 cm), and PE values (+5.3 kg, +2.6 kg) increased significantly (p is less than 0.05). From winter to spring, percent fat (-1.5%), fat mass (-1.4 kg), nonmuscular abdominal girth (-1.0 co), and PE value (-2.5 kg) decreased significantly (p is less than 0.05) from winter to spring. Fat-free mass (+1.5 kg), muscular biceps girth (+0.4 cm), and PE value (+2.6 kg) increased significantly (p is less than 0.05) from winter to spring. Ponderal somatograms muscular components were generally overdeveloped, with the greatest overdevelopment at the biceps in the fall (+14.7 kg), winter (+14.9 kg), and spring (+17.4 kg). Nonmuscular components generally were underdeveloped, except abdomen and hips that were overdeveloped. The abdomen remained the greatest nonmuscular overdevelopment in fall (+6.8 kg), winter (+10.5 kg), and spring (+7.9 kg). Ponderal somatograms provide a relatively simple, practical method to track specific changes in body size and shape over time

Consistency of metabolic responses and appetite sensations under postabsorptive and postprandial conditions

The present study aimed to investigate the reliability of metabolic and subjective appetite responses under fasted conditions and following consumption of a cereal-based breakfast. Twelve healthy, physically active males completed two postabsorption (PA) and two postprandial (PP) trials in a randomised order. In PP trials a cereal based breakfast providing 1859 kJ of energy was consumed. Expired gas samples were used to estimate energy expenditure and fat oxidation and 100 mm visual analogue scales were used to determine appetite sensations at baseline and every 30 min for 120 min. Reliability was assessed using limits of agreement, coefficient of variation (CV), intraclass coefficient of correlation and 95% confidence limits of typical error. The limits of agreement and typical error were 292.0 and 105.5 kJ for total energy expenditure, 9.3 and 3.4 g for total fat oxidation and 22.9 and 8.3 mm for time-averaged AUC for hunger sensations, respectively over the 120 min period in the PP trial. The reliability of energy expenditure and appetite in the 2 h response to a cereal-based breakfast would suggest that an intervention requires a 211 kJ and 16.6 mm difference in total postprandial energy expenditure and time-averaged hunger AUC to be meaningful, fat oxidation would require a 6.7 g difference which may not be sensitive to most meal manipulations

Role for aldosterone in blood pressure regulation of obese adolescents

To determine the role of aldosterone in the regulation of blood pressure (BP) in obese adolescents, supine and 2-hour upright plasma renin activity (PRA), and aldosterone and cortisol were measured in 10 nonobese and 30 obese adolescents before and after a 20-week weight loss program. The obese adolescents had significantly higher supine and 2-hour upright plasma aldosterone concentrations (17 +/- 8 vs 6 +/- 2 ng/dl [p < 0.01 supine obese vs nonobese] and 30 +/- 11 vs 14 +/- 8 ng/dl [p < 0.01 2-hour upright]). Although PRA was not significantly different between the 2 groups of children, a given increment in PRA produced a greater increment in aldosterone in the obese adolescents. In addition, obese subjects had a significantly increased mean BP (93 +/- 12 vs 74 +/- 8, p < 0.005) and a weak correlation between BP and plasma aldosterone concentration. Compared with an obese control group, weight loss resulted in a significant decrease in plasma aldosterone (p < 0.01) without an associated decrease in PRA. After weight loss there was also a significant decrease in the slope of the posture-induced relation between PRA and aldosterone. In addition to weight loss being associated with a significant decrease in BP (p < 0.01), there was a significant correlation between the change in plasma aldosterone and the change in mean BP (r = 0.538; p < 0.002 change in upright aldosterone vs change in mean BP). Obese adolescents have an increased plasma aldosterone concentration that may be important in the regulation of their BP.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/26170/1/0000247.pd

Longitudinal investigation of training status and cardiopulmonary responses in pre- and early-pubertal children

PurposeThe presence of a maturational threshold that modulates children’s physiological responses to exercise training continues to be debated, not least due to a lack of longitudinal evidence to address this question. The purpose of this study was to investigate the interaction between swim-training status and maturity in nineteen trained (T, 10 ± 1 years, −2.4 ± 1.9 years pre-peak height velocity, 8 boys) and fifteen untrained (UT, 10 ± 1 years, −2.3 ± 0.9 years pre-peak height velocity, 5 boys) children, at three annual measurements.MethodsIn addition to pulmonary gas exchange measurements, stroke volume (SV) and cardiac output ( Q˙) were estimated by thoracic bioelectrical impedance during incremental ramp exercise.ResultsAt baseline and both subsequent measurement points, trained children had significantly (P < 0.05) higher peak oxygen uptake (year 1 T 1.75 ± 0.34 vs. UT 1.49 ± 0.22; year 2 T 2.01 ± 0.31 vs. UT 1.65 ± 0.08; year 3 T 2.07 ± 0.30 vs. UT 1.77 ± 0.16 l min−1) and Q˙ (year 1 T 15.0 ± 2.9 vs. UT 13.2 ± 2.2; year 2 T 16.1 ± 2.8 vs. UT 13.8 ± 2.9; year 3 T 19.3 ± 4.4 vs. UT 16.0 ± 2.7 l min−1). Furthermore, the SV response pattern differed significantly with training status, demonstrating the conventional plateau in UT but a progressive increase in T. Multilevel modelling revealed that none of the measured pulmonary or cardiovascular parameters interacted with maturational status, and the magnitude of the difference between T and UT was similar, irrespective of maturational status.ConclusionThe results of this novel longitudinal study challenge the notion that differences in training status in young people are only evident once a maturational threshold has been exceeded