EFFECTS OF CHROMIUM PICOLINATE SUPPLEMENTATION ON BODY COMPOSITION IN IN-SEASON DIVISION I INTERCOLLEGIATE FEMALE SWIMMERS

Introduction: Chromium (Cr) supplementation has received anecdotal support for enhancing body composition. With this in mind, few studies have reported the effects of Cr supplementation in female athletes during a full competitive season. Objective: To measure the effects of Cr picolinate (CP) supplementation on body composition in intercollegiate female swimmers over the course of a full competitive season. Methods: Twenty female Divison I intercollegiate swimmers (19.5 [+ or -] 1.5 y, 64.8 [+ or -] 7.4 kg) participated in the double-blind study for a 26-week competitive season. Ten subjects received CP (400 pg.d-1) while 10 received a placebo (P). Total body mass (TBM), fat-free mass (FFM), fat mass (FM), and percent body fat (%BF) were measured using hydrodensitometry at baseline (PRE), 13 weeks (MID), and 26 weeks (POST). Results: CP had a higher (P = 0 008) PRE-POST gain (vs. P) in FFM (2.2 [+ or -] 0.1 kg vs. 1.0 [+ or -] 0.2 kg), a higher (P = 0.02) PRE-POST % gain (vs. P) in FFM (4.6 [+ or -] 0.3% vs. 2.2 [+ or -] 0.6%), and a higher (P = 0.006) PRE-POST % loss (vs. P) in %BF (18.6 [+ or -] 0.9% vs. 11.9 [+ or -] 1.7%). In CP, PRE-MID, MID-POST, and PRE-POST there was a significant (P = 0.047 for all) decrease in TBM, FM, %BF, and an increase in FFM. In P, PRE-POST and MID-POST there was a significant (P = 0.047 for all) increase in FFM, and PRE-MID decrease in %BF. Conclusion: Intercollegiate female swimmers supplementing in-season training with CP may increase FFM and decrease %BF. Key words: chromium, body composition, exercise, training