Abstract des Autors

In many weight limited sports, acute weight loss before competition or long term weight fluctuations are typically achieved through restricted food intake, saunas, diuretics and intense exercise. In our study, we have monitored body composition variations in 9 elite karatekas during a three years period (T1, T2, T3). Subject age was 22.6 years +/-2.3 (mean+/-SD) and height 179.9 cm +/-7.4 at the moment of the first measurement. Arm circumference (AC) and six skinfold thicknessess (biceps, triceps, subscapular, suprailiac, abdominal and thigh) were measured. Then, the relative indices (arm muscle circumference, AMC and arm muscle area, AMA) were calculated. Percentage body fat was calculated using Durnin-Womersley (D-W), Sloan-Weir (S-W), Katch-McArdle (K-M) and Lohmann (L) equations. The ANOVA test for repeated measures was utilized to evidence statistically significant differences among the three measurements. No significant changes were observed in weight, skinfolds, fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM) during the three years period. The time course of the predicted FM and FFM amounts using the different equations was the same. In particular, the SW equation seemed not to reflect the modifications in the amount of FM as evidenced by the total sum of the six skinfolds. The only significant increase regarded the AC measurement, and the related indices (AMC, AMA), between T1 and T2. In conclusion, our subjects were characterized by a substantial uniformity in the body composition parameters measured in this three years follow-up study. Verf.-Referat