Body Composition Assessment in Female National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Softball Athletes as a Function of Playing Position Across a Multiyear Time Frame

Abstract

Peart, A, Wadsworth, D, Washington, J, and Oliver, G. Body composition assessment in female National Collegiate Athletic Association division I softball athletes as a function of playing position across a multiyear time frame. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2018-The purpose of this study was to record changes in total body mass, lean body mass (LBM), fat mass (FM), and body fat percentage (BF%) in female National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level softball athletes over a multiyear time frame using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (iDXA). Forty-two (20.36 ± 1.59 years) NCAA Division I collegiate softball athletes volunteered over 2 years. Subjects tested 3 times throughout the season (pre-season, mid-season, and post-season) in 2015-2017. Total and regional LBM, FM, and BF% were measured by the iDXA. A mixed-design analysis of variance was performed to examine LBM, FM, BF%, and player position interaction over time. Where appropriate, post hoc tests were used to determine statistically different variables (p ≤ 0.05). Lean body mass decreased significantly (p = 0.048) from mid-season (50.02 ± 0.28) to post season (49.67 ± 0.37). Fat mass and BF% decreased significantly for all playing positions over the season except for pitchers, who showed significantly (p < 0.000) higher levels of FM (26.56 ± 1.74) and BF% (31.77 ± 1.14) than all other positions. The current study revealed that all athletes decreased in LBM during the competitive season. Pitchers from this study consistently maintain a higher FM and BF% than the catchers, infielders, and outfielders. These data reveal that more emphasis of training and conditioning for optimal performance should be focused on the pitching position to maintain a healthy body composition.

Total and Regional Body Composition of NCAA Division I Collegiate Female Softball Athletes

“…current investigation are similar to the limited total-body composition data reported thus far in the literature for collegiate softball players [4][5][6]. Specifically pertaining to inter-positional assessments, only one study to date [4] has used DXA to examine NCAA Division I collegiate softball players' total and regional body composition changes within each position over the course of a season. Although they [4] reported total body and regional means by position, these researchers did not statistically compare them.…”

“…Specifically pertaining to inter-positional assessments, only one study to date [4] has used DXA to examine NCAA Division I collegiate softball players' total and regional body composition changes within each position over the course of a season. Although they [4] reported total body and regional means by position, these researchers did not statistically compare them. Notably, they [4] reported regional ranges similar to those in the current study, including arm total mass, lean mass, and fat mass; and leg total mass, fat mass, and lean mass for each player position.…”

“…Dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is considered the gold standard for measuring total and regional (i. e., arms, legs, trunk) body composition-including fat mass, lean soft tissue mass, bone mineral density, and visceral adipose tissue-and has been used in athletic populations for cross-sectional and longitudinal body composition assess-ments. Recently, DXA has been used within the athletic setting to: compare athletes' body composition measurements across positions within the same sport [1][2][3][4]; assess distributional fat and lean mass changes in body composition as a result of training programs and nutritional interventions (1); and examine potential bilateral lean mass asymmetries that may increase athletes' injury risk (2). Impor-tantly, DXA provides insight into athletes' overall health and mass distribution that may allow coaches and trainers to create individualized training programs and nutritional interventions to optimize athletes' sports performance and minimize injury risk.…”

“…To date, a paucity of studies [4][5][6] have examined total and regional body composition in a collegiate softball population. Notably, three of these studies utilized DXA to examine softball athletes' total body composition measurements [4][5][6]. However, only one of these studies reported total-body total mass, lean mass, fat mass, bone mineral content (BMC), and bone mineral density (BMD) and regional (i. e., arm and leg) BMD measurements [5].…”

“…However, only one of these studies reported total-body total mass, lean mass, fat mass, bone mineral content (BMC), and bone mineral density (BMD) and regional (i. e., arm and leg) BMD measurements [5]. To date only one study [4] has reported positional total and regional body composition measurements-albeit in a small sample of Division I collegiate softball players. However, to establish descriptive total and regional body composition data in this population and across positions, it is important to include a large collegiate softball cohort.…”