TY - JOUR
T1 - Body composition assessment of English Premier League soccer players
T2 - a comparative DXA analysis of first team, U21 and U18 squads
AU - Milsom, Jordan
AU - Naughton, Robert
AU - O’Boyle, Andy
AU - Iqbal, Zafar
AU - Morgans, Ryland
AU - Drust, Barry
AU - Morton, James P.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Taylor & Francis.
PY - 2015/2/16
Y1 - 2015/2/16
N2 - Abstract: Professional soccer players from the first team (1st team, n = 27), under twenty-one (U21, n = 21) and under eighteen (U18, n = 35) squads of an English Premier League soccer team were assessed for whole body and regional estimates of body composition using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Per cent body fat was lower in 1st team (10.0 ± 1.6) compared with both U21 (11.6 ± 2.5, P = 0.02) and U18 (11.4 ± 2.6, P = 0.01) players. However, this difference was not due to variations (P = 0.23) in fat mass between squads (7.8 ± 1.6 v 8.8 ± 2.1 v 8.2 ± 2.4 kg, respectively) but rather the presence of more lean mass in 1st team (66.9 ± 7.1 kg, P < 0.01) and U21 (64.6 ± 6.5 kg, P = 0.02) compared with U18 (60.6 ± 6.3 kg) players. Accordingly, fat mass index was not different (P = 0.138) between squads, whereas lean mass index was greater (P < 0.01) in 1st team players (20.0 ± 1.1 kg · m−2) compared with U18 players (18.8 ± 1.4 kg · m−2). Differences in lean mass were also reflective of higher lean tissue mass in all regions, for example, upper limbs/lower limbs and trunk. Data suggest that training and nutritional interventions for younger players should therefore be targeted to lean mass growth as opposed to body fat loss.
AB - Abstract: Professional soccer players from the first team (1st team, n = 27), under twenty-one (U21, n = 21) and under eighteen (U18, n = 35) squads of an English Premier League soccer team were assessed for whole body and regional estimates of body composition using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Per cent body fat was lower in 1st team (10.0 ± 1.6) compared with both U21 (11.6 ± 2.5, P = 0.02) and U18 (11.4 ± 2.6, P = 0.01) players. However, this difference was not due to variations (P = 0.23) in fat mass between squads (7.8 ± 1.6 v 8.8 ± 2.1 v 8.2 ± 2.4 kg, respectively) but rather the presence of more lean mass in 1st team (66.9 ± 7.1 kg, P < 0.01) and U21 (64.6 ± 6.5 kg, P = 0.02) compared with U18 (60.6 ± 6.3 kg) players. Accordingly, fat mass index was not different (P = 0.138) between squads, whereas lean mass index was greater (P < 0.01) in 1st team players (20.0 ± 1.1 kg · m−2) compared with U18 players (18.8 ± 1.4 kg · m−2). Differences in lean mass were also reflective of higher lean tissue mass in all regions, for example, upper limbs/lower limbs and trunk. Data suggest that training and nutritional interventions for younger players should therefore be targeted to lean mass growth as opposed to body fat loss.
KW - DXA
KW - fat mass
KW - lean mass
KW - soccer
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84936891390
U2 - 10.1080/02640414.2015.1012101
DO - 10.1080/02640414.2015.1012101
M3 - Article
C2 - 25686107
AN - SCOPUS:84936891390
SN - 0264-0414
VL - 33
SP - 1799
EP - 1806
JO - Journal of Sports Sciences
JF - Journal of Sports Sciences
IS - 17
ER -