Differences in Fat Mass Estimation Formulas in Physically Active Adult Population and Relationship with Sums of Skinfolds

Raquel Vaquero-Cristóbal, Mario Albaladejo-Saura, Ana E. Luna-Badachi and Francisco Esparza-Ros
Additional contact information
Raquel Vaquero-Cristóbal: Faculty of Sport, Catholic University San Antonio of Murcia (UCAM), Av. de los Jerónimos 135, 30107 Murcia, Spain
Mario Albaladejo-Saura: Kinanthropometry International Chair, Catholic University San Antonio of Murcia (UCAM), Av. de los Jerónimos 135, 30107 Murcia, Spain
Ana E. Luna-Badachi: Kinanthropometry International Chair, Catholic University San Antonio of Murcia (UCAM), Av. de los Jerónimos 135, 30107 Murcia, Spain
Francisco Esparza-Ros: Kinanthropometry International Chair, Catholic University San Antonio of Murcia (UCAM), Av. de los Jerónimos 135, 30107 Murcia, Spain

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 21, 1-12

Abstract: Changes in body composition and specifically fat mass, has traditionally been used as a way to monitor the changes produced by nutrition and training. The objective of the present study was to analyse the differences between the formulas used to estimate fat mass and to establish the existing relationship with the body mass index and sums of skinfolds measurement in kinanthropometry. A total of 2458 active adults participated in the study. Body mass index (BMI) and skinfolds were measured, and the Kerr, Durnin-Womersley, Faulkner and Carter equations were used to assess fat mass. Significant differences were found between all the formulas for the percentage of fat mass, ranging from 10.70 ± 2.48 to 28.43 ± 5.99% ( p < 0.001) and fat mass from 7.56 ± 2.13 to 19.89 ± 4.24 kg ( p < 0.001). The correlations among sums of skinfolds and the different equations were positive, high and significant in all the cases ( r from 0.705 to 0.926 p < 0.001), unlike in the case of BMI, were the correlation was lower and both positive or negative ( r from −0.271 to 0.719; p < 0.001). In conclusion, there were differences between all the formulas used to estimate fat mass; thus, for the evaluation of fat mass with kinanthropometry of an active adult, the use of the same formula is recommended on all occasions when the results are going to be compared or when an athlete is compared with a reference.

Keywords: kinanthropometry; physical performance; body weight; health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/21/7777/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/21/7777/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:21:p:7777-:d:434002

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().