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Relative body weight and standardised brightness-mode ultrasound measurement of subcutaneous fat in athletes: an international multicentre reliability study, under the auspices of the IOC Medical Commission.

M�ller, Wolfram; F�rhapter-Rieger, Alfred; Ahammer, Helmut; Lohman, Timothy G.; Meyer, Nanna L.; Sardinha, Luis B.; Stewart, Arthur D.; Maughan, Ronald J.; Sundgot-Borgen, Jorunn; M�ller, Tom; Harris, Margaret; Kirihennedige, Nuwanee; Magalhaes, Joao P.; Melo, Xavier; Pirstinger, Wolfram; Reguant-Closa, Alba; Risoul-Salas, Vanessa; Ackland, Timothy R.

Authors

Wolfram M�ller

Alfred F�rhapter-Rieger

Helmut Ahammer

Timothy G. Lohman

Nanna L. Meyer

Luis B. Sardinha

Arthur D. Stewart

Ronald J. Maughan

Jorunn Sundgot-Borgen

Tom M�ller

Margaret Harris

Nuwanee Kirihennedige

Joao P. Magalhaes

Xavier Melo

Wolfram Pirstinger

Alba Reguant-Closa

Vanessa Risoul-Salas

Timothy R. Ackland



Abstract

Introduction: Fat is a metabolic fuel, but excess body fat is ballast mass and therefore many elite athletes reduce body fat to dangerously low levels. Uncompressed subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) thickness measured by brightness-mode ultrasound (US) provides an estimate of body fat content. Methods: The accuracy for determining tissue borders is about 0.1-0.2 mm and reliability (experienced measurers) was within ±1.4 mm (95% limit of agreement, LOA). We present here inter- and intra-measurer scores of three experienced US measurers from each of the centres C1 and C2, and of three novice measurers from each of the centres C3-C5. Each of the five centres measured 16 competitive adult athletes of national or international level, except for one centre where the number was 12. The following sports were included: artistic gymnastics, judo, pentathlon, power lifting, rowing, kayak, soccer, tennis, rugby, basketball, field hockey, water polo, volleyball, American football, triathlon, swimming, cycling, long distance running, mid distance running, hurdles, cross country skiing, snowboarding, and ice hockey. SAT-contour was detected semi-automatically: typically, 100 thicknesses of SAT at a given site (i.e. in a given image), with and without fibrous structures, were measured. Results: At SAT thickness sums DI (of eight standardised sites) between 6.0 and 70.0 mm, the LOA of experienced measurers was 1.2 mm, and the intra-class correlation coefficient ICC was 0.998; novice measurers: 3.1 mm and 0.988. Intra-measurer differences were similar. The median DI-value of all 39 female participants was 51 mm (11% fibrous structures) compared to 17 mm (18%) in the 37 male participants. Discussion: DI measurement accuracy and precision enables detection of fat mass changes of approximately 0.2 kg. Such reliability has not been reached with any other method. Although females' median body mass index and mass index were lower than those of males, females' median DI was three-times higher, and their percentage of fibrous structures was lower. The standardised US method provides a highly accurate and reliable tool for measuring SAT and thus changes in body fat, but training of measurers is important.

Citation

MÜLLER, W., FÜRHAPTER-RIEGER, A., AHAMMER, H., LOHMAN, T.G., MEYER, N.L., SARDINHA, L.B., STEWART, A.D., MAUGHAN, R.J., SUNDGOT-BORGEN, J., MÜLLER, T., HARRIS, M., KIRIHENNEDIGE, N., MAGALHAES, J.P., MELO, X., PIRSTINGER, W., REGUANT-CLOSA, A., RISOUL-SALAS, V. and ACKLAND, T.R. 2020. Relative body weight and standardised brightness-mode ultrasound measurement of subcutaneous fat in athletes: an international multicentre reliability study, under the auspices of the IOC Medical Commission. Sports medicine [online], 50(3), pages 597-614. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-019-01192-9

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Sep 10, 2019
Online Publication Date Sep 30, 2019
Publication Date Mar 31, 2020
Deposit Date Sep 12, 2019
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Sports Medicine
Print ISSN 0112-1642
Electronic ISSN 1179-2035
Publisher Springer
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 50
Issue 3
Pages 597-614
DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-019-01192-9
Keywords Fat; Subcutaneous fat; Relative body weight; Ultrasound; Athletes
Public URL https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/544909

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