Body Fat Assessment in International Elite Soccer Referees
Soccer referees are a specific group in the sports population that are receiving increasing attention from sports scientists. A lower fat mass percentage (FM%) is a useful parameter to monitor fitness status and aerobic performance, while being able to evaluate it with a simple and quick field-based...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-06-01
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| Series: | Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2411-5142/5/2/38 |
| _version_ | 1797565911664689152 |
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| author | Cristian Petri Francesco Campa Vitor Hugo Teixeira Pascal Izzicupo Giorgio Galanti Angelo Pizzi Georgian Badicu Gabriele Mascherini |
| author_facet | Cristian Petri Francesco Campa Vitor Hugo Teixeira Pascal Izzicupo Giorgio Galanti Angelo Pizzi Georgian Badicu Gabriele Mascherini |
| author_sort | Cristian Petri |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Soccer referees are a specific group in the sports population that are receiving increasing attention from sports scientists. A lower fat mass percentage (FM%) is a useful parameter to monitor fitness status and aerobic performance, while being able to evaluate it with a simple and quick field-based method can allow a regular assessment. The aim of this study was to provide a specific profile for referees based on morphological and body composition features while comparing the accuracy of different skinfold-based equations in estimating FM% in a cohort of soccer referees. Forty-three elite international soccer referees (age 38.8 ± 3.6 years), who participated in the 2018 Russian World Cup, underwent body composition assessments with skinfold thickness and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Six equations used to derive FM% from skinfold thickness were compared with DXA measurements. The percentage of body fat estimated using DXA was 18.2 ± 4.1%, whereas skinfold-based FM% assessed from the six formulas ranged between 11.0% ± 1.7% to 15.6% ± 2.4%. Among the six equations considered, the Faulkner’s formula showed the highest correlation with FM% estimated by DXA (r = 0.77; R<sup>2</sup> = 0.59 <i>p</i> < 0.001). Additionally, a new skinfold-based equation was developed: FM% = 8.386 + (0.478 × iliac crest skinfold) + (0.395 × abdominal skinfold, r = 0.78; R<sup>2</sup> = 0.61; standard error of the estimate (SEE) = 2.62 %; <i>p</i> < 0.001). Due to these findings, national and international federations will now be able to perform regular body composition assessments using skinfold measurements. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:19:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-28c669c9a7c7493fb0fbd59d04c7496a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2411-5142 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:19:36Z |
| publishDate | 2020-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-28c669c9a7c7493fb0fbd59d04c7496a2023-11-20T03:02:39ZengMDPI AGJournal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology2411-51422020-06-015238010.3390/jfmk5020038Body Fat Assessment in International Elite Soccer RefereesCristian Petri0Francesco Campa1Vitor Hugo Teixeira2Pascal Izzicupo3Giorgio Galanti4Angelo Pizzi5Georgian Badicu6Gabriele Mascherini7Sports and Exercise Medicine Unit, Clinical and Experimental Department, University of Florence, 50121 Firenze, ItalyDepartment for Life Quality Studies, University of Bologna, 47921 Rimini, ItalyFaculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences (FCNA), University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, PortugalDepartment of Medicine and Aging Science, “G. D’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, ItalySports and Exercise Medicine Unit, Clinical and Experimental Department, University of Florence, 50121 Firenze, ItalyA.I.A., Italian Referees Association, 00187 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Physical Education and Special Motricity, Transilvania University of Brasov, 500068 Brasov, RomaniaSports and Exercise Medicine Unit, Clinical and Experimental Department, University of Florence, 50121 Firenze, ItalySoccer referees are a specific group in the sports population that are receiving increasing attention from sports scientists. A lower fat mass percentage (FM%) is a useful parameter to monitor fitness status and aerobic performance, while being able to evaluate it with a simple and quick field-based method can allow a regular assessment. The aim of this study was to provide a specific profile for referees based on morphological and body composition features while comparing the accuracy of different skinfold-based equations in estimating FM% in a cohort of soccer referees. Forty-three elite international soccer referees (age 38.8 ± 3.6 years), who participated in the 2018 Russian World Cup, underwent body composition assessments with skinfold thickness and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Six equations used to derive FM% from skinfold thickness were compared with DXA measurements. The percentage of body fat estimated using DXA was 18.2 ± 4.1%, whereas skinfold-based FM% assessed from the six formulas ranged between 11.0% ± 1.7% to 15.6% ± 2.4%. Among the six equations considered, the Faulkner’s formula showed the highest correlation with FM% estimated by DXA (r = 0.77; R<sup>2</sup> = 0.59 <i>p</i> < 0.001). Additionally, a new skinfold-based equation was developed: FM% = 8.386 + (0.478 × iliac crest skinfold) + (0.395 × abdominal skinfold, r = 0.78; R<sup>2</sup> = 0.61; standard error of the estimate (SEE) = 2.62 %; <i>p</i> < 0.001). Due to these findings, national and international federations will now be able to perform regular body composition assessments using skinfold measurements.https://www.mdpi.com/2411-5142/5/2/38anthropometrybody compositionDXAequationfat masssoccer |
| spellingShingle | Cristian Petri Francesco Campa Vitor Hugo Teixeira Pascal Izzicupo Giorgio Galanti Angelo Pizzi Georgian Badicu Gabriele Mascherini Body Fat Assessment in International Elite Soccer Referees Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology anthropometry body composition DXA equation fat mass soccer |
| title | Body Fat Assessment in International Elite Soccer Referees |
| title_full | Body Fat Assessment in International Elite Soccer Referees |
| title_fullStr | Body Fat Assessment in International Elite Soccer Referees |
| title_full_unstemmed | Body Fat Assessment in International Elite Soccer Referees |
| title_short | Body Fat Assessment in International Elite Soccer Referees |
| title_sort | body fat assessment in international elite soccer referees |
| topic | anthropometry body composition DXA equation fat mass soccer |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2411-5142/5/2/38 |
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