Bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA) in university athletes

Abstract

Background Bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA) is able to identify differences in hydration status and body composition components, such as body cell mass (BCM) by means of plotting individuals in ellipses, when comparing groups with different characteristics. Objective Compare the confidence and tolerance ellipses of BIVA in individual and team sports athletes with a non-athlete reference population. Design and participants One hundred sixty-seven college athletes (team sports: 117 athletes, individual sports: 50 athletes) aged between 18 and 35 years. Bioelectrical impedance was used to measure resistance (R) and reactance (Xc) values that were used in the BIVA analysis to identify hydration status and BCM, respectively. Hotelling’s t-test was used to identify differences between groups in the confidence ellipses and the comparison was made with a non-athlete Italian reference population. Results There were no differences between male team sports and individual athletes (p = 0.151) and for female athletes (p = 0.624). Most athletes were located in the 50% tolerance ellipses, indicating adequate hydration. Compared to the Italian a non-athlete population, athletes of both sexes presented left impedance vector deviation in the minor axis (Xc) of the tolerance ellipses, indicating higher BCM. Conclusion There were no differences in BIVA between team and individual sports athletes, but most athletes presented an adequate hydration state and, compared to a non-athlete population, the athletes of the present study presented higher BCM.

Associations between hydration status, body composition, sociodemographic and lifestyle factors in the general population: a cross-sectional study

“…Both techniques showed strengths and weaknesses in different populations such as children [4], athletes [14,[18][19][20], different ethnic groups [5], and patients [13,21]. With the development of athlete-specific BIA-equations and BIVA-tolerance ellipses, for instance, both techniques showed helpful in monitoring training progress, nutritional status, fluid volumes, and hydration status in athletes [14].…”

Utilization of bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA) in children and adolescents without diagnosed diseases: a systematic review

“…Individual vectors or a group of vectors are compared to vectors representing the distribution of healthy individual vectors to classify hydration status, where optimal body composition is located in the center of the RXc graph (50% and 75% ellipses), and vector migration in a certain direction represents a change in hydration status: dehydration when the vector shifts towards the upper pole and fluid overload towards the lower pole (Marini et al 2020). It is possible to obtain more objective information about the distribution of body fluids, aiding in the identification of potential imbalances and facilitating decisions regarding proper hydration, clinical monitoring, and nutritional guidance (Bozzetto et al 2010, Martins et al 2021b. Two studies described in their methods that they analyzed hydration status using conventional BIA equations without employing the qualitative analysis of BIVA (Bonaccorsi et al 2009, D'Hondt et al 2022.…”

Earlier anti-TNF therapy reduces the risk of malnutrition associated with alterations in body composition in patients with Crohn’s disease

“…At present, in addition to some universal nutrition assessment scales, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is being more widely used to assess the nutritional status of patients. It can precisely measure the human body composition, which assists in the development of reasonable therapeutic options targeting the consumption of patients suffering from malnutrition in an efficient, painless, and noninvasive way ( 10 , 11 ). In CD patients, multiple body composition analysis was found to perform better for the screening and assessment of malnutrition than nutrition assessment scales or laboratory data.…”