BODY COMPOSITION RELATED TO BODY MASS INDEX AMONG YOUNG ELITE FOOTBALL PLAYERS

Abstract

Abstract

Introduction. Body composition is extremely important for athletes’ performance, thus assessment tools may be used to clarify their sports condition. The aim of the study was to investigate body composition measurements and maximal oxygen consumption related to body mass index (BMI) in young elite football players. Material and methods. A total of 29 young football players were divided into 3 groups related to the value of BMI: I group (n=8); II group (n=13); and III group (n=8). The subjects were submitted to the sub-maximal pulse approach on treadmill method (SchillerAg, MTM-1500 Bear, Switzerland) to measure VO 2max (ml/kg/min). A body composition analyzer (InBody720, Biospace Co, Seoul, Korea) was used to determine the body fat - BF (%), skeletal muscle - SM (%) and total body water – TW(L) including intracellular body water – ICW(L) and extracellular body water – ECW(L). For the statistical analysis, a t-test was performed upon which the significance for p<0.05 was considered. Results. The football players showed the highest VO 2 max value in the II group (p<0.05). BF showed increased value in the III group (p<0.02). SM did not show any significant difference between the groups. Body water composition showed no statistical significance. Conclusion. Due to our results, we may conclude that certain parameters may determine the condition of young athletes in order to select appropriate training procedures, proper diet, and personalized performance.

Key words: football; body mass index; body composition.