BIOELECTRICAL IMPEDANCE ANALYSIS IN KARATE ATHLETES: BIA PARAMETERS OBTAINED WITH INBODY720 REGARDING THE AGE

Abstract

The basic purpose of this paper is to make recognizable analysis of body composition with bioelectrical impedance analyzer, (especially with InBody 720) to the sports scientific public. To fulfill this assignment we would like to present numerous parameters of body composition obtained with InBody 720, in subjects younger than 18 years and older than 18 years, because of fact that this BIA device gives different final result sheets regarding the age limit of 18 years. We investigated 21 karate athletes, members of karate national team of Republic Macedonia, age span from 15 to 22 years. They were divided in two age different groups, up to 18 (U18) and over 18 years old (18+). The final result sheets for person younger than 18 years consists considerably less parameters than for subjects older than 18 years. Comparison of parameters common for both groups showed that U18 karate athletes had significantly lower mean values for following parameters: height (176.8  4.26cm vs. 179.8  5.35cm), body weight (69.05  7.4 kg vs. 77.43  8.71 kg), skeletal muscle mass (35.38  4.43 kg vs. 38.34  2.97 kg) and body mass index, BMI (21.8  1.31 kg/m2 vs. 23.97  2.26 kg/m2) than 18+ karate athletes. Younger athletes also had significantly lower parameters of obesity diagnose: body fat mass (6.73  1.98 kg vs 10.31  5.02 kg) and body fat percent (9.8  2.65% vs. 12.91  5.14%). The data from this paper could allow the health professionals, sport scientists, sport expert and athletes to get useful information about plenty of parameters of body mass analysis obtained with bioelectrical impedance analyzer.