Evaluation of the accuracy of different body composition prediction formulas compared to DXA in Colombian Women’s Professional Soccer

Resumen

The aim of the present study was to compare different body composition prediction formulas with the reference method,
DEXA, in the context of Colombian professional women’s soccer during a competitive season. The purpose of this
was to determine which of these formulas most closely replicates the gold standard and could offer an alternative
for evaluating body fat percentage (%) and lean mass in the absence of more precise methods. Formulas were used
to calculate body fat percentage using two components, specifically, those conceived by Yuhasz (15.17 [13.98 –
16.72]%), Durnin and Rahaman (25.57 [24.5.-.28.07]%), Jackson and Pollock (16.71 [14.33 – 19.33]%), and Durnin and
Womersley (24.90 [24.02 – 27.01]%). For five components, lipid mass was calculated from body weight (19.80 [17.80
– 22.30]%), whilst DEXA provided body fat percentage data (23.94 ± 3.51%). A cross-sectional analytical study with nonprobabilistic
convenience sampling was conducted of 24 female soccer players from two first-division teams. A total
of 26 anthropometric variables were measured. Descriptive analysis was performed using SPSS v.21, in addition to
correlation (SP), Lin’s concordance, and Bland and Altman analyses. The lowest inter-method difference relative to
DEXA was obtained via the Durnin and Womersley formula, with a value of – 0.70, indicating that fat % estimates would,
on average, overestimate DEXA by a value of 0.7. Durnin and Womersley formula produced the closest body fat % values
to those produced by the reference method, DEXA.