Brozek two-compartment model under-estimates body fat in black female athletes

The purpose of this study was to compare percentage body fat (%BF) values of black female athletes calculated using the Heymsfield four‐compartment (4C), Brozek two‐compartment (2C) and Schutte models. Eleven collegiate athletes underwent total body water (TBW) assessment, hydrostatic weighing (HW) and dual energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA). Repeated‐measures ANOVA determined that the 4C model yielded %BF values (16·2 ± 1·5%) that were higher than the Brozek model (13·6 ± 1·7%) but similar to the Schutte model (16·7 ± 1·6%). The fat‐free mass density of the athletes (1·109 ± 0·002 kg l–1) was significantly higher than the value 1·1 kg l–1 assumed by the 2C model. We conclude that in lean black female athletes, the Brozek 2C model under‐estimates %BF, and that, if only HW is available, the Schutte model should be used to estimate %BF.