Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background Research has shown air displacement plethysmography (ADP) to be a valid and reliable alternative to dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in the general population; however, its validity and reliability indicate conflicting evidence in an athletic population. The purpose of this study is to develop a novel estimation equation using body density obtained from ADP in an athletic population to assess body fat percent (BF%) more accurately.Methods One hundred and thirty (males, n = 69; females, n = 61) National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I athletes participated in this study. Thirty athletes were randomly withheld for the hold-out sample, and the remaining 100 athletes were used in the development of the equation. Body composition was evaluated using ADP and DXA. Linear regression was used to develop a new prediction equation (EquationEquation 1(1) BF%= 21.125− 280.823 ∗ mean centered body density(1) ) with body density (ADP) as the independent variable and BF% (DXA) as the dependent variable. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to identify differences between ADP–Brozek, DXA, and EquationEquation 1(1) BF%= 21.125− 280.823 ∗ mean centered body density(1) . Interclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were assessed to evaluate the reliability of the equation.Results Significance was set to p < 0.05. Linear regression was conducted to create EquationEquation 1(1) BF%= 21.125− 280.823 ∗ mean centered body density(1) , which explained 90.5% of the variance. ADP–Brozek reported lower BF% than EquationEquation 1(1) BF%= 21.125− 280.823 ∗ mean centered body density(1) (p < 0.001) in the development and hold-out samples; however, BF% from EquationEquation 1(1) BF%= 21.125− 280.823 ∗ mean centered body density(1) and DXA were not different from each other (p = 0.999). ICCs were strong in both samples (original sample: ICC = 0.975, p < 0.001; hold-out sample: ICC = 0.964, p < 0.001).Conclusion The newly proposed equation may be used with ADP measurements to interpret BF% in an athletic population.
Language: English
Subfield: Physiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,490
OpenAlex ID: W4410824794