Phase Angle Is a Marker of Muscle Quantity and Strength in Overweight/Obese Former Athletes

Catarina N. Matias, Francesco Campa, Catarina L. Nunes, Rubén Francisco, Filipe Jesus, Miguel Cardoso, Maria J. Valamatos, Pedro Mil Homens, Luís B. Sardinha, Paulo Martins, Cláudia Minderico and Analiza M. Silva
Additional contact information
Catarina N. Matias: Bioperformance & Nutrition Research Unit, Bettery S.A., 2740-262 Lisbon, Portugal
Francesco Campa: Department for Life Quality Studies, Università degli Studi di Bologna, 40126 Rimini, Italy
Catarina L. Nunes: Exercise and Health Laboratory, CIPER, Faculdade Motricidade Humana, Universidade Lisboa, Estrada da Costa, 1499-688 Cruz-Quebrada, Portugal
Rubén Francisco: Exercise and Health Laboratory, CIPER, Faculdade Motricidade Humana, Universidade Lisboa, Estrada da Costa, 1499-688 Cruz-Quebrada, Portugal
Filipe Jesus: Exercise and Health Laboratory, CIPER, Faculdade Motricidade Humana, Universidade Lisboa, Estrada da Costa, 1499-688 Cruz-Quebrada, Portugal
Miguel Cardoso: Exercise and Health Laboratory, CIPER, Faculdade Motricidade Humana, Universidade Lisboa, Estrada da Costa, 1499-688 Cruz-Quebrada, Portugal
Maria J. Valamatos: Neuromuscular Research Lab, CIPER, Faculdade Motricidade Humana, Universidade Lisboa, Estrada da Costa, 1499-688 Cruz-Quebrada, Portugal
Pedro Mil Homens: Neuromuscular Research Lab, CIPER, Faculdade Motricidade Humana, Universidade Lisboa, Estrada da Costa, 1499-688 Cruz-Quebrada, Portugal
Luís B. Sardinha: Exercise and Health Laboratory, CIPER, Faculdade Motricidade Humana, Universidade Lisboa, Estrada da Costa, 1499-688 Cruz-Quebrada, Portugal
Paulo Martins: Laboratory of Sport Psychology, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana da Universidade de Lisboa, 1499-002 Cruz-Quebrada, Portugal
Cláudia Minderico: Exercise and Health Laboratory, CIPER, Faculdade Motricidade Humana, Universidade Lisboa, Estrada da Costa, 1499-688 Cruz-Quebrada, Portugal
Analiza M. Silva: Exercise and Health Laboratory, CIPER, Faculdade Motricidade Humana, Universidade Lisboa, Estrada da Costa, 1499-688 Cruz-Quebrada, Portugal

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 12, 1-10

Abstract: Background: An increasing body of evidence indicates that the phase angle (PhA) can be applied as a marker of nutritional status, disease prognosis, and mortality probability. Still, it is not known whether PhA can be used as an indicator of muscular quantity and strength and maximal aerobic capacity in overweight/obese former highly active individuals, an understudied population. This study aimed to analyze the association between PhA with skeletal muscle mass, maximal isometric strength, and maximal aerobic capacity through VO2max, in overweight/obese and inactive former athletes. Methods: Cross-sectional information of 94 (62 males) former adult athletes (age: 43.1 ± 9.4 years old; body mass index: 31.4 ± 4.8 kg/m 2 ) taking part in a weight-loss clinical trial was analyzed. Total fat and fat-free mass were determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, while skeletal muscle mass was predicted from appendicular lean soft tissue. Values for upper- and lower-body maximal isometric strength were assessed by handgrip and leg press dynamometry. VO2max was determined by indirect calorimetry through a graded exercise test performed on a treadmill. Results: PhA was associated with skeletal muscle mass (r = 0.564, p < 0.001), upper-body strength (r = 0.556, p < 0.001), lower-body strength (r = 0.422, p < 0.001), and VO2max (r = 0.328, p = 0.013). These relationships remained significant for skeletal muscle mass (? = 2.158, p = 0.001), maximal isometric strength (upper-body: ? = 2.846, p = 0.012; low-er-body: ? = 24.209, p = 0.041) after adjusting for age, sex, and fat mass but not for VO2max (? = ?0.163, p = 0.098). Conclusion: Our findings indicated that former athletes with higher values of PhA exhibited greater muscle mass and strength, despite sex, age, and body composition, which suggests that this simple raw BI parameter can be utilized as an indicator of muscle quantity and functionality in overweight/obese former athletes.

Keywords: body composition; bioelectrical impedance; skeletal muscle; strength; phase angle (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/12/6649/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/12/6649/ (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:18:y:2021:i:12:p:6649-:d:578694

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 ().