© Science and Education Publishing DOI:10.12691/ajssm-2-1-1 Assessing Various Body Composition Measurements as An Appropriate Tool for Estimating Body Fat in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Female Collegiate Athletes

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of the study was to determine if various convenient and cost affordable body composition techniques correlate well with more expensive “gold standard ” instruments for measuring body composition in female collegiate athletes. Methods: Thirty-two Division I track and field and basketball female athletes participated in the study. The host university’s Institutional Review Board approved the protocols towards ethical treatment of all subjects before the study commenced. Within one hour, each subject underwent body composition assessments via air displacement plethysmography (ADP), skinfold (SF) measurements, and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Results: No significant differences were found between basketball and track athletes thus data was normalized. No significant difference in calculated percent body fat was noted between ADP and SF (p =.002), but there was a significant difference between ADP and BIA (p =.478). Per Pearson correlations, moderate correlations existed between body fat percentages obtained by ADP and SF (r =.689) as well as between body fat percentages estimated by ADP and BIA (r =.447). Conclusions: Results indicate the SF technique had the highest correlation when compared to the BOD POD®. Skinfold measurements obtained with the Harpenden Skinfold Calipers may be used as a quick, affordable, and reliable technique for measuring body fat percentages i