1. MODULE 10 – BODY COMPOSITION
AND SPORTS.

2. REASONS FOR ASSESSMENTS
Provides a starting point to base current and future decisions
about weight loss and weight gain
Provides realistic goals about how to best achieve an “ideal”
balance between the body’s fat and nonfat compartments
Relates to general health status, thus playing an important role
in establishing short and long-term health and fitness goals
for all individuals

3. A) METHODS OF ASSESSMENT
Direct Assessment of Body Composition:
• One technique involves dissolving the body in a chemical
solution to determine the fat and fat-free components of the
mixture.
• The other technique involves the physical dissection of
fat, fat-free adipose tissue, muscle, and bone.
These techniques are :
1. time consuming and tedious,
2. require specialized laboratory equipment, and
3. involve ethical questions and legal problems in obtaining
cadavers for research purposes.

4. Indirect Assessment of Body Composition
1. Hydrostatic weighing
2. Skinfold thickness
3. Girth measurements
4. Bioelectrical impedance analysis
5. Near-infrared interactance
6. CT or MRI
7. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry
8. BOD POD using air plethysmography

5. Hydrostatic Weighing
• Involves the application of Archimedes’ principle
• Because an object’s loss of weight in water equals the weight
of the volume of water it displaces, specific gravity refers to
the ratio of the weight of an object in air divided by its loss of
weight in water.
• Dividing a person’s body mass by body volume yields body
density (Density = Mass Volume) and, from this, an estimate
of percentage body fat.
• Involves immersion in water

7. Skinfold Measurements
The rationale for using skinfolds to estimate body fat comes from
the relationships among three factors.
1. Fat in the adipose tissue deposits directly beneath the skin
(subcutaneous fat)
2. Internal fat
3. Whole-body density
The most common anatomic locations for skinfold measurement
include the triceps, subscapular, suprailiac, abdominal, and
upper thigh sites

9. Girth Measurements
Involves the application of a linen or plastic measuring tape
lightly to the skin surface so the tape remains taut but not
tight.
Along with predicting percent body fat, girths can analyze
patterns of body fat distribution, including changes in fat
distribution during weight loss.
Measures of waist girth and the ratio of waist girth to hip girth
provide an important indication of disease risk.

11. Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis
A painless, localized electric current is introduced, and the
impedance (resistance) to current flow is determined
between the source and detector electrodes.
Computes percent body fat from the Siri equation or another
similar density conversion equation

12. CT and MRI
Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI) produce images of body segments.
CT scans can evaluate the relationship between simple
anthropometric measures (skinfolds and girths) at the
abdominal region and total adipose tissue volume.
MRI effectively quantifies total and subcutaneous adipose tissue
in individuals of varying degrees of body fatness.

13. BOD POD
Uses air displacement plethysmography to estimate body
volume
Body density computes as body mass (measured in air) body
volume (measured in BOD POD).
The Siri equation converts body density to percent body fat.

15. b) Optimal weight and body composition
in athletes.

16. The reference man is taller and heavier, his skeleton
weighs more, and he has a larger muscle mass and lower
total fat content than the reference woman.
Reference man:
Fat 15% of total body mass
Reference woman:
Fat 27% of total body mass

18. Essential and Storage Fat
• Essential fat consists of the fat stored in the marrow of
bones, heart, lungs, liver, spleen, kidneys, intestines,
muscles, and lipid-rich tissues of the central nervous
system.
• Normal physiologic functioning requires this fat.
• Storage fat depot consists of fat accumulation in
adipose tissue.
• Reference man: approximately 12% storage fat
• Reference woman: approximately 15% storage fat

19. Fat-Free Body Mass and Lean Body Mass
• Lean body mass (LBM) contains a small percentage of
essential fat stores equivalent to approximately 3% of
body mass.
• Fat-free body mass (FFM) represents the body devoid
of all extractable fat.
• In normally hydrated, healthy adults, FFM and LBM
differ only in the “essential” lipid-rich stores in bone
marrow, brain, spinal cord, and internal organs.

20. MEN
• To calculate the lower fat limit in men (i.e., the
LBM), subtract storage fat from body mass.
For the reference man:
• LBM (61.7 kg) includes approximately 3% (2.1
kg) essential body fat.
• Encroachment into this reserve may impair
normal physiologic function and capacity for
vigorous exercise.

21. WOMEN
• The lower limit for the reference woman includes
about 12% essential fat.
• Equals 48.5 kg for the reference woman.
• Generally, body fat percentages for the leanest
women in the population do not fall below 10–12% of
body mass.
• This value probably represents the lower limit of
fatness for most women in good health.

24. (c) Weight gain and weight loss in
training and competition

25. ‘Making weight’ is the practice used by weight-class athletes
to lose weight in order to compete.
In weight-class sports -
boxing, lightweight, rowing,weightlifting, wrestling, judo and
other combat, sports, athletes must meet a certain weight
classification to compete
There are two types of weight cutting:
1. One method is to lose weight in the form of fat and muscle in the weeks
prior to an event;
2. Other is to lose weight in the form of water in the final days before
competition.

26. HOW DO ATHLETES MAKE WEIGHT?
If an athlete needs to ‘make weight’ for a competition, the most
common weight reduction strategy is rapid weight loss
(within the week before the competition).
Weight loss methods are varied and include severe
dieting or starvation, fluid restriction, passive (sauna) or active
(exercise in “sweat suits) dehydration, and the use of diuretics,
laxatives, or self-induced vomiting.
These rapid weight-making techniques reduce weight,
principally by decreasing body fluids, food in the
gastrointestinal tract and muscle energy stores

27. IMPLICATIONS OF RAPID WEIGHT LOSS
Two major health risks:
1. Malnutrition
2. Dehydration.
Dehydration - results in impairments in performance and
proper body function. Dehydration is the most acute
and the most dangerous.
Malnutrition is caused by inadequate intake of nutrients.

28. 1) Rapid weight loss by fluid restriction leads to dehydration—not
fat loss.
2) Fluid loss of as little as
• 1% of body weight (0.7 kg in a 70 kg person) has shown to
decrease endurance performance
• 2% to 4% - result in reduced (VO2max).
• Shown to impair endurance performance by 20%.
• Yet, in boxing, a 2% rapid weight loss strategy is common
3) As fluid reduction increases, so too do the dangerous
consequences caused by the inability of the body to effectively
regulate temperature - heat injury, including muscle
cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke

29. SHORT TERM CONSEQUENCES
• Mood swings, lack of energy and lack of motivation, which can
all contribute to
• Impairments in performance athlete will have less
energy, slowed metabolism, loss of muscle
mass, strength, power and a reduced endurance capacity
leading to underperformance
• Additionally, there is an increased risk of mental and physical
exhaustion. The most extreme consequence of rapid excessive
weight loss (of greater than 10%) may result in collapse and
possible death. In 1997, three collegiate wrestlers died, while
attempting rapid weight lossfor their weight-class certifications

30. LONG TERM CONSEQUENCES
• Eating disorder, such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa
• Vitamin and Mineral deficiencies
• Changes to hormonal and metabolic function.
The levels of body fat considered to be
minimal levels compatible with good health are 5% for males
and 12% for females (Lohman,1992).
However, the ranges of body fat for athletes vary by sport and
by gender within a sport.

31. BODY FAT LEVELS
Males: 8–12% for males
Females: 16–20% for females.

32. WEIGHT GAIN
Strength and power are important traits in many sports.
• Increasing muscle mass represents an important part of their
athletic development.
• There are three key components or ‘ingredients’ that are
considered essential if an athlete is to achieve their ‘bulking
up’ goals:
1. A well designed resistance training program
2. A high-energy diet that provides adequate protein
3. Consistency

33. 1) HIGH ENERGY DIET
Muscles need energy to grow, so it makes sense that an
increase in overall dietary intake is required.
The main focus - high energy, nutrient dense foods
The need to increase total energy intake is not seen as an
excuse to fill up on energy dense, nutrient poor foods (e.g.
takeways, ‘junk food’). This will increase the likelihood of
gaining fat rather than muscle mass.

34. MISCONCEPTION - HIGH PROTEIN DIET IS NECESSARY
COMMON among athletes is that the best way to build muscle
or “bulk up” is to eat a high-protein diet. Adequate protein
intake is essential when you are increasing muscle mass, but
most of the energy needed to fuel muscle growth comes
from an adequate calorie intake from carbohydrates and fats

35. 2) TRAINING AND TIMING
• To optimise muscle size and strength, it is essential
athletes support each training session with nutrients
required to support muscle growth.
• Consume a carbohydrate-rich snack that also provides 10-
20 grams of protein within 30 minutes of finishing
training
• Carbohydrate will help to re-fuel the muscle, reduce
muscle breakdown
• Protein will support the growth of new muscle tissue

36. 3) CONSISTENCY
• Muscle development takes time and a commitment to a
well structured training and meal plan is essential if the
athlete is to achieve their strength gain goals

37. ACTIVITY
Sample Menu #1:
Breakfast: Oatmeal and fresh fruit.
Snack: Yogurt and a energy bar. , Snack: Pretzels.
Lunch: 1 Deli sandwiches (Turkey), and an apple.
Snack: 1 Peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and milk.
Dinner: Grilled chicken and steamed vegetables.
Sample Menu #2:
Breakfast: Cheerios, banana, and milk.
Snack: Graham crackers and milk. , Snack: Frozen yogurt.
Lunch: 1 slice of cheese pizza, salad, and fruit juice.
Snack: 1 English muffin w/jelly.
Dinner: Pasta w/marinara sauce, a vegetable, and milk.

38. HANDY HINTS FOR WEIGHT GAIN
• Athletes should plan in advance and have snacks on hand in
gear bags, cars etc.
• Athletes should consume a certain amount of their calories
from liquid
•In order to gain weight this increased food intake should be
carried out consistently.
• Athletes need to eat, drink, rest and carry out relevant
training,.
• A specific hypertrophy (muscle building) weight-training
programme should be incorporated..