The Estimation of the Fat Free Mass Index in Athletes

Asian J Sports Med. 2012 September; 3(3): 200–203.

PMCID: PMC3445648

The Estimation of the Fat Free Mass Index in Athletes

Jeremy P. Loenneke, MSc,^1,^2,^3,^4,⁵^* Jacob M. Wilson, PhD,^1,^2,^3,^4,⁵ Mandy E. Wray, MSc,^1,^2,^3,^4,⁵ Jeremy T. Barnes, PhD,^1,^2,^3,^4,⁵ Monica L. Kearney, MS,^1,^2,^3,^4,⁵ and Thomas J. Pujol, EdD^1,^2,^3,^4,⁵

¹Department of Health and Exercise Science, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, USA

²Department of Health Sciences and Human Performance, University of Tampa, Tampa, USA

³Department of Nutritional Sciences, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, USA

⁴Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation. Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, USA

⁵Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, USA

^*Corresponding Author:Address: 1401 Asp Ave., Room 104. Norman, Oklahoma 73019-0615, USA. E-mail:Email: jploenneke/at/ou.edu

Received March 9, 2012; Accepted June 24, 2012.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License which allows users to read, copy, distribute and make derivative works for non-commercial purposes from the material, as long as the author of the original work is cited properly.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this investigation was to compare a practical measurement of fat free mass index (FFMI) from bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) to the dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) value in collegiate athletes.

Methods

Thirty-three male baseball players and 16 female gymnasts volunteered to participate in this study during their respective pre-season. Subjects visited the laboratory once and had their measurements taken in the following order: weight, height, DEXA, and Omron HBF-500.

Results

The BIA device investigated was not a valid estimate of FFMI when compared to the DEXA. The TE was 0.93 kg/ m² for males and 0.78 kg/ m² for females. There were also significant mean differences between the BIA prediction and the DEXA value for males (BIA=20.6 kg/m² vs. DEXA=21.1 kg/m², P=0.007) and females (BIA=16.2 kg/m² vs. DEXA=17.5 kg/m², P=0.001).

Conclusions

The BIA device investigated in this study did not provide a valid estimate of FFMI in male and female collegiate athletes. Although there was a general tendency for the BIA to underestimate FFMI compared to DEXA, 98% of the estimates were within plus or minus 2 kg/ m². Therefore, while slightly biased, BIA may provide a reasonable (± 2 kg/ m²) estimate of nutritional status for practitioners who are unable able to afford more expensive equipment.

Keywords: Body Mass Index, Body Fat, Sports, Fat Free Mass, Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry, DEXA Scan

Articles from Asian Journal of Sports Medicine are provided here courtesy of
Tehran University of Medical Sciences