Effect of Physical Training on Body Composition in Brazilian Military

Abstract

The military are selected on the basis of physical standards and are regularly involved in strong physical activities, also related to particular sports training. The aims of the study were to analyze the effect of a 7-month military training program on body composition variables and the suitability of specific ‘bioelectrical impedance vector analysis’ (spBIVA), compared to DXA, to detect the changes in body composition. A sample of 270 male Brazilian cadets (19.1 ± 1.1 years), composed of a group practicing military physical training routine only (MT = 155) and a group involved in a specific sport training (SMT = 115), were measured by body composition assessments (evaluated by means of DXA and spBIVA) at the beginning and the end of the military routine year. The effect of training on body composition was similar in SMT and MT groups, with an increase in LST. DXA and spBIVA were correlated, with specific resistance (Rsp) and reactance (Xcsp) positively related to fat mass (FM), FM%, LST, and lean soft tissue index (LSTI), and phase angle positively related to LST and LSTI. Body composition variations due to physical training were recognized by spBIVA: the increase in muscle mass was indicated by the phase angle and Xcsp increase, and the stability of FM% was consistent with the unchanged values of Rsp. Military training produced an increase in muscle mass, but no change in FM%, independently of the sample characteristics at baseline and the practice of additional sports. SpBIVA is a suitable technique for the assessment of body composition in military people.

Study of VO2max and body composition in trained soldiers of the army special operations unit

“…Despite having been reported in the literature changes in body composition in soldiers through training (Gobbo et al, 2022), and being a widely demonstrated concept, based on these data, no differences in body composition parameters were observed in our study between groups. Although there are differences in the energy demands to which each of the groups are subjected, the body composition is very similar between them.…”

Influence of Hand-to-Hand Combat Training on Functional Fitness of Cadets at Higher Educational Establishments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs

“…A number of works address the use of hand-to-hand combat in special physical training [12,15]. At the same time, the issue of influence of physical fitness content on functional indicators of the body of cadets of the Ministry of Internal Affairs has not been adequately studies and needs thorough analysis.…”

Perfil de Composición Corporal en Militares Élite Chilenos

“…Diversos estudios muestran que el entrenamiento físico militar podría aumentar la masa muscular y la masa libre de grasa. Es así que en resultados de una investigación realizado en militares cadetes brasileños (Gobbo et al, 2022) se observaron valores de tejido adiposo (16,0 ± 3,3 %) superiores a los encontrados en nuestro estudio (13,7 ± 3,65 %) y, cuando se comparan estos resultados con los estándares internacionales, los participantes de nuestra investigación se encuentran bajo el 20 %, considerado como punto de corte (Institute of Medicine (US) Subcommittee on Military Weight Management, 2004). Los resultados se explican en parte, porque los militares que participaron en el presente estudio estaban finalizando un curso de especialización con una alta carga de entrenamiento físico y actividad física diaria en comparación con las tripulaciones evaluadas en el es-tudio español.…”