Body Composition

Athletes in all sports benefit from having their body composition assessed. By optimizing the ratio of fat mass to fat-free mass, sport performance will be enhanced. One benefit of assessing body composition is to assess the decrease in body fat that occurs in response to a weight-management and/or training program. Typically, athletes and physically active individuals are leaner than sedentary individuals, regardless of gender. However, female athletes have relatively greater body fat than male athletes in a given sport, and the average body fatness depends on the type of sport and the athlete’s position.

For average body fat values by sport and gender please click here.

Body composition assessment will also aid the athletes in determining the appropriate body weight for performance. Accurate body composition assessment is critical to guide athletes as they seek the optimal level of fat and fat-free mass associated with their sport. The OPC will allow for the assessment of your body composition, calculation of an optimal body weight based on body composition, and a dietary plan to meet this body weight. Although, there may be an optimal body weight and body composition to maximize performance in certain sports, athletes, coaches, athletic trainers, and exercise physiologists need to recognize that these values may vary among individual athletes. For physical health, it is important to stay above a minimum of 5% and 12% body fat for male/female athletes in college, and 7% and 12% for male/female athletes in high school/junior high. If the athlete’s body fat values are below these minimums it highly recommended that a physician’s evaluation be conducted before the athlete participates in their sport.

For a list and description of each of the validated methods to assess body composition click here.