Estimating body fat in NCAA Division I female athletes: a five-compartment model validation of laboratory methods

• Published in: European journal of applied physiology 2009-01, Vol.105 (1), p.119-130
• Main Authors: Moon, Jordan R., Eckerson, Joan M., Tobkin, Sarah E., Smith, Abbie E., Lockwood, Christopher M., Walter, Ashley A., Cramer, Joel T., Beck, Travis W., Stout, Jeffrey R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Absorptiometry, Photon - methods; Adipose Tissue - anatomy & histology; Anthropometry - methods; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Body Composition - physiology; Bones; Estimates; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Human Physiology; Humans; Occupational Medicine/Industrial Medicine; Original Article; Plethysmography - methods; Reproducibility of Results; Sports; Sports Medicine; Vertebrates: body movement. Posture. Locomotion. Flight. Swimming. Physical exercise. Rest. Sports; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1439-6319; 1439-6327
• DOI: 10.1007/s00421-008-0881-9

The purpose of the present study was to determine the validity of various laboratory methods for estimating percent body fat (%fat) in NCAA Division I college female athletes ( n  = 29; 20 ± 1 year). Body composition was assessed via hydrostatic weighing (HW), air displacement plethysmography (ADP), and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and estimates of %fat derived using 4-compartment (C), 3C, and 2C models were compared to a criterion 5C model that included bone mineral content, body volume (BV), total body water, and soft tissue mineral. The Wang-4C and the Siri-3C models produced nearly identical values compared to the 5C model ( r  > 0.99, total error (TE)