A comparison of fat mass and skeletal muscle mass estimation in male ultra-endurance athletes using bioelectrical impedance analysis and different anthropometric methods Comparación de la masa grasa y muscular estimada en atletas varones de ultra-resistencia utilizando la bioimpedancia eléctrica y diferentes métodos antropométricos

Two hundred and fifty seven male Caucasian ultraendurance athletes were recruited, pre-race, before different swimming, cycling, running and triathlon races. Fat mass and skeletal muscle mass were estimated using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and anthropometric methods in order to investigate whether the use of BIA or anthropometry would be useful under field conditions. Total body fat estimated using BIA was significantly high (P < 0.001) compared with anthropometry. When the results between BIA and anthropometry were compared, moderate to low levels of agreement were found. These results were in accordance with the differences found in the Bland-Altman analysis, indicating that the anthropometric equation of Ball et al. had the highest level of agreement (Bias = -3.0 ± 5.8 kg) with BIA, using Stewart et al. (Bias = -6.4 ± 6.3 kg), Faulkner (Bias = -4.7 ± 5.8 kg) and Wilmore-Siri (Bias = -4.8 ± 6.2 kg). The estimation of skeletal muscle mass using BIA was significantly (P < 0.001) above compared with anthropometry. The results of the ICC and Bland-Altman method showed that the anthropometric equation from Lee et al. (Bias = -5.4 ± 5.3 kg) produced the highest level of agreement. The combined method of Janssen et al. between anthropometry and BIA showed a lower level of agreement (Bias = -12.5 ± 5.7 kg). There was a statistically significant difference between the results derived from the equation of Lee et al. and Janssen et al. (P < 0.001). To summarise, the determination of body composition in ultra-endurance athletes using BIA reported significantly high values of fat and skeletal muscle mass when compared with anthropometric equations.Se reclutaron a 257 hombres caucasianos que eran atletas de alto rendimiento, antes de competir en diferentes pruebas triatlón de natación, ciclismo y carrera. Se estimaron la masa grasa y la masa de músculo esquelético utilizando un análisis de impedancia bioeléctrica (BIA) y métodos antropométricos con el fin de investigar si el uso de BIA o de la antropometría sería útil en tales condiciones de campo. La grasa corporal total estimada por BIA fue significativamente mayor en comparación con la antropometría (P < 0,001). Cuando se compararon los resultados entre BIA y antropometría, se encontraron niveles de concordancia bajos a moderados. Estos resultados concuerdan con las diferencias halladas con el análisis Bland-Altman, lo que indica que la ecuación antropométrica de Ball et al. posee el mayor grado de conc