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Body composition changes by DXA, BIA and skinfolds during exercise training in women

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Abstract

Purpose

Few studies have examined responsiveness of bioimpedance (BIA) to detect changes over time in body composition using a longitudinal design. Accuracy of BIA and skinfold thickness in estimating body composition among 39–64 year-old women was investigated using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) as a criterion method both cross-sectionally and during a training intervention.

Methods

97 women had percentage of fat assessed using DXA, skinfolds and eight-polar BIA using multi-frequency current. Fat mass and lean mass were estimated by DXA and BIA. Measurements were performed before and after the 21-week training intervention.

Results

At baseline relative to DXA, BIA under predicted percentage of fat (−6.50 %) and fat mass (−3.42 kg) and overestimated lean mass (3.18 kg) considerably. Also skinfold measurement under predicted percentage of fat compared to DXA, but the difference was smaller (−1.69 % units). Skinfold measurement overestimated percentage of fat at low values and underestimated at high values (r 2 = 0.535). A significant bias was detected between DXA and BIA’s estimate of change in percentage of fat, fat mass and lean mass. Compared to DXA, BIA and skinfolds underestimated the training-induced positive changes in body composition.

Conclusions

BIA and skinfold methods compared to DXA are not interchangeable to quantify the percentage of fat, fat mass and lean mass at the cross-sectional design in middle-aged women. Moreover, exercise training-induced small changes in body composition cannot be detected with BIA or skinfold method, even though DXA was able to measure statistically significant within-group changes in body composition after training.

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Acknowledgments

This study was partly supported by a grant from the Ministry of Education, Finland, the Central Finland Health Care District, Jyväskylä Finland, Juho Vainio Foundation, Finland, Sport Institute Foundation, Finland and Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation, Finland.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology of Physical Activity, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35 (VIV), 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland

    Elina Sillanpää & Keijo Häkkinen

  2. Department of Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland

    Elina Sillanpää & Arja Häkkinen

Authors
  1. Elina Sillanpää
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  2. Arja Häkkinen
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  3. Keijo Häkkinen
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Correspondence to Elina Sillanpää.

Additional information

Communicated by Klaas R Westerterp.

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Sillanpää, E., Häkkinen, A. & Häkkinen, K. Body composition changes by DXA, BIA and skinfolds during exercise training in women. Eur J Appl Physiol 113, 2331–2341 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-013-2669-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-013-2669-9

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