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Conventional BMI cut-offs overestimate chubby and weight problems in male athletes
Apr
Current analysis, which is to be introduced at this 12 months’s European Congress for Weight problems (ECO 2025, Malaga, Spain, Could 11-14), reveals that the internationally acknowledged physique mass index (BMI) chubby and weight problems in male athletes significantly overestimate. The research from Italy additionally proposes recent border factors for weight problems and weight problems on this group.
The Physique Mass Index (BMI) is a key technique for measuring the burden standing of people and defines whether or not they own regular weight, weight problems or weight problems. It will possibly be simply calculated by dividing the burden of an particular person in kilograms by the sq. of its dimension in meters. A BMI of 25 kg/m2 or upstairs Is within the indicator of chubby and a BMI of 30 kg/m2 Or above reveals weight problems in white males and girls of all ages after the categorization system of the World Well being Group (WHO).
Nonetheless, some research own proven that this classification system is probably not marvelous at figuring out chubby and weight problems in athletes, and its exercise on this group has lengthy been criticized.
BMI doesn’t differentiate between physique pudgy and lean mass, which additionally contains muscular tissues. In consequence, a muscle athlete with a low physique pudgy might be incorrectly categorised as with chubby or weight problems. However, many sports activities organizations nonetheless depend on the normal BMI classification system. “
Professor Marwan El Ghoch, Division of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neuronal Sciences, College of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
In a recent research, Professor El Ghoch and researcher on the College of Verona in Italy and Beirrut College in Lebanon set out to find out how precisely the BMI cut-offs of 25 and 30 kg/m2 are within the identification of chubby and weight problems in male athletes and, in the event that they had been discovered to be imprecise, to find out higher restrict values.
The cross -sectional research included 622 males (common age of 25.7 years, BMI ≥ 20 kg/m2) who had been transferred to the Ministry of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Motion Sciences on the College of Verona, Italy, and took section in sports activities similar to soccer, rugby, basketball, volleyball, cross-fit, karate and others.
The contributors had been categorized utilizing the present BMI system and in keeping with their physique pudgy share (BF%).
Utilizing the present BMI system, greater than a quarter of individuals had been categorised than chubby or weight problems. About 451 (72.5%) individuals had regular weight (BMI 18.5-24.99 kg/m²), 148 (23.8%) individuals who had been chubby (25 kg/m² 29.9 kg/m²) and 23 (3.7%) with weight problems (30 kg/m² and greater).
The overall physique pudgy proportion (BF%) was measured utilizing the double X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), which is referred to as a extremely exact device for measuring the physique composition- in keeping with the age and gender-specific restrict values. A BF -% of 21% or extra was categorised as chubby and a BF -% of 26% or greater than weight problems was categorised.
Utilizing this method, lower than 4% of individuals had been categorised than chubby or weight problems. Round 598 (96.1%) individuals had regular weight, 19 (3.1%) had been chubby and 5 (0.8%) with weight problems.
Professor El Ghoch, who headed the research, says: “This reveals that the present BMI cut-off factors in figuring out weight standing in athletes are clearly defective, since most of the athletes had been categorised incorrectly than to reside with chubby or weight problems, the place in point of fact there have been only a few physique pudgy degree on this space.”
The researchers used statistical modeling to establish extra exact BMI restrict values for younger male athletes. The recent restrict values that hold the decrease BF%of athletes under consideration are 28.2 kg/m2 For chubby and 33.7 kg/m2 for weight problems.
The co-author of the research, Professor Chiara Milanese from the College of Verona, explains: “Though DXA scans measure the physique composition precisely, they should not all the time accessible in sports activities environments. In distinction, the 2 measures which are vital to calculate the BMI are straightforward to receive, and the recent BMI waste is simple.
“The gold commonplace stays a direct evaluation of the physique composition, however in absence we encourage sports activities organizations and committees to undertake the recent BMI classification system.”
The authors add that a number of different analysis items are required. This contains the identification of recent restrict values for athletes and presumably particular restrict values for numerous sports activities, specifically these had been not included in the present research.
