Table 2 Elite athletics competitors (n = 53) anthropometric and body composition (BC) characteristics (mean ± SD) at off-season to in-season including absolute off- to in-season BC change

Age (yrs)

23.0 ± 3.8

˗

˗

22.4 ± 2.8

˗

˗

20.9 ± 1.8

˗

˗

22.3 ± 2.3

˗

˗

22.6 ± 3.3

-

˗

21.8 ± 2.2

-

˗

Height (m)

1.7 ± 6.2

˗

˗

1.71 ± 2.7

˗

˗

1.84 ± 5.4

˗

˗

1.84 ± 5.3

˗

˗

1.71 ± 4.4

-

˗

1.84 ± 5.0

-

˗

BM (kg)

56.6 ± 5.6†

55.8 ± 5.4

-0.8 ± 1.3

64.2 ± 5.8

64.3 ± 5.5

0.1 ± 2.1

69.3 ± 7.1

70.1 ± 6.4

0.8 ± 1.6

75.3 ± 5.2

76.8 ± 5.1

1.4 ± 1.7*

60.8 ± 6.8†

60.5 ± 6.8

-0.3 ± 1.8‡

73.2 ± 6.5

74.5 ± 6.3

1.2 ± 1.7*

FFMI (kg/m²)

16.2 ± 0.9†

16.3 ± 1.0

0.1 ± 0.3

17.4 ± 1.2

17.7 ± 1.2

0.2 ± 0.3*

18.1 ± 1.1†

18.4 ± 0.8

0.3 ± 0.3*

19.5 ± 1.4

20.0 ± 1.3

0.4 ± 0.4*

16.9 ± 1.2†

17.1 ± 1.3

0.2 ± 0.3

19.0 ± 1.5

19.4 ± 1.4

0.4 ± 0.4*

FMI (kg/m²)

3.3 ± 1†

3.2 ± 0.8

-0.1 ± 0.5

4.2 ± 1.0

4.0 ± 0.7

-0.2 ± 0.5

2.4 ± 0.4†

2.3 ± 0.4

-0.1 ± 0.3

2.8 ± 0.4

2.8 ± 0.4

0.0 ± 0.3

3.8 ± 1.1†

3.7 ± 0.9

-0.1 ± 0.5

2.6 ± 0.5

2.6 ± 0.5

0.0 ± 0.3

LM (kg)

44.3 ± 3.7†

44.6 ± 3.8

0.2 ± 0.9

48.8 ± 3.9

49.4 ± 4.0

0.6 ± 0.9*

58.2 ± 5.7

59.3 ± 4.9

1.1 ± 1.0*

62.4 ± 4.8

63.8 ± 4.9

1.4 ± 1.5*

46.8 ± 4.4†

47.2 ± 4.5

0.4 ± 0.9‡

60.9 ± 5.4

62.3 ± 0.3

1.3 ± 1.3*

FM (kg)

9.6 ± 3.3†

9.2 ± 2.6

-0.3 ± 1.4

12.5 ± 2.9

12.0 ± 2.1

-0.5 ± 1.5

8.1 ± 1.8

7.8 ± 1.8

-0.2 ± 1.1

9.4 ± 1.1

9.5 ± 1.2

0.1 ± 0.9

11.2 ± 3.4†

10.8 ± 2.7

-0.4 ± 1.4

8.9 ± 1.5

8.9 ± 1.6

0.0 ± 1.0

FM (%)

16.7 ± 4.6

16.4 ± 3.6

-0.3 ± 2.2

19.3 ± 3.3

18.5 ± 2.5

-0.8 ± 1.6

11.6 ± 2.1

11.1 ± 2.1

-0.5 ± 1.5

12.5 ± 1.6

12.4 ± 1.6

-0.1 ± 1.1

18.1 ± 4.1†

17.6 ± 3.2

-0.5 ± 1.9

12.2 ± 1.8

11.9 ± 1.8

-0.2 ± 1.3

BMC (g)

2539 ± 270†

2546 ± 273

7 ± 20

2931 ± 250

2953 ± 260

22 ± 29*

3158 ± 373†

3165 ± 376

7 ± 33

3588 ± 350

3612 ± 344

24 ± 38*

2757 ± 322†

2772 ± 332

16 ± 26*

3440 ± 408

3457 ± 410

18 ± 37

BMD

(g/cm²)

1.26 ± 0.08†

1.28 ± 0.09

0.02 ± 0.04

1.38 ± 0.08

1.41 ± 0.09

0.04 ± 0.03*

1.29 ± 0.09†

1.32 ± 0.09

0.03 ± 0.04

1.45 ± 0.09

1.48 ± 0.09

0.04 ± 0.03*

1.32 ± 0.09†

1.35 ± 0.12

0.03 ± 0.04*

1.39 ± 0.12

1.42 ± 0.12

0.03 ± 0.03*

BMD Z-score

2.07 ± 0.75^†

2.42 ± 0.73

0.35 ± 0.35*

3.1 ± 1.06^†

3.54 ± 1.27

0.44 ± 0.46*

0.86 ± 0.69^†

1.31 ± 0.90

0.46 ± 0.49*

2.35 ± 0.83^†

2.79 ± 0.92

0.44 ± 0.28*

1.83 ± 1.06^†

2.28 ± 1.15

0.45 ± 0.35*

2.62 ± 1.05^†

3.02 ± 1.18

0.40 ± 0.41*

Regions

Trunk LM (kg)

21.8 ± 1.6

21.8 ± 1.6

0.0 ± 0.6

23.1 ± 1.8

23.4 ± 1.8

0.2 ± 0.6

27.5 ± 2.9

28.6 ± 2.4

1.1 ± 0.8*

29.3 ± 2.1

29.9 ± 2.5

0.6 ± 0.8*

22.6 ± 1.8†

22.7 ± 1.9

0.1 ± 0.6‡

28.7 ± 2.5

29.5 ± 2.5

0.8 ± 0.8*

Trunk FM (kg)

4.0 ± 1.5†

4.0 ± 1.2

-0.3 ± 0.8

5.2 ± 1.1

5.2 ± 1.1

-0.4 ± 0.8

2.7 ± 0.8†

2.7 ± 0.7

0.1 ± 0.9

3.2 ± 0.6

3.2 ± 0.6

0.0 ± 0.6

4.4 ± 1.7

4.0 ± 1.2

-0.4 ± 0.8

3.9 ± 0.9

3.9 ± 0.8

0.0 ± 0.7

Trunk BMC (g)

698 ± 105†

691 ± 100

-8 ± 17

879 ± 98

887 ± 96

9 ± 16

862 ± 131†

864 ± 133

2 ± 27

1083 ± 113

1084 ± 108

0 ± 29

798 ± 135†

780 ± 138

1 ± 18

1007 ± 158

1008 ± 156

1 ± 28

Arms LM (kg)

4.3 ± 0.5†

4.3 ± 0.5

0.0 ± 0.2

5.2 ± 0.6

5.3 ± 0.7

0.1 ± 0.2

6.7 ± 0.8†

6.6 ± 0.7

-0.1 ± 0.2

7.5 ± 0.8

7.7 ± 0.8

0.2 ± 0.3*

4.8 ± 0.8†

4.9 ± 0.8

0.1 ± 0.2

7.2 ± 0.9

7.3 ± 0.9

0.1 ± 0.3

Arms FM (kg)

1.2 ± 0.5

1.2 ± 0.4

0.0 ± 0.2

1.5 ± 0.3

1.4 ± 0.3

0.0 ± 0.2

1.0 ± 0.3

1.1 ± 0.2

0.0 ± 0.1

1.1 ± 0.2

1.2 ± 0.2

0.1 ± 0.1*

1.3 ± 0.4†

1.3 ± 0.4

0.0 ± 0.2

1.1 ± 0.2

1.1 ± 0.2

0.1 ± 0.1

Arms BMC (g)

309 ± 36†

308 ± 37

-1 ± 6

366 ± 53

367 ± 55

1 ± 5

428 ± 56†

423 ± 55

-5 ± 14

484 ± 62

495 ± 61

11 ± 17*

341 ± 54†

341 ± 56

0 ± 5

464 ± 65

470 ± 67

5 ± 18

Legs LM (kg)

15.4 ± 1.7†

15.6 ± 1.8

0.2 ± 0.5

17.4 ± 1.9

17.7 ± 1.8

0.3 ± 0.5*

20.6 ± 2.1

20.7 ± 1.9

0.1 ± 0.4

22.2 ± 2.3

22.8 ± 1.9

0.6 ± 0.8*

16.5 ± 2.1†

16.8 ± 2.1

0.3 ± 0.5*

21.7 ± 2.3

22.1 ± 2.1

0.4 ± 0.7*

Legs FM (kg)

4.0 ± 1.5†

4.0 ± 1.2

0.0 ± 0.5

5.2 ± 1.1

5.2 ± 1.1

-0.1 ± 0.6

2.7 ± 0.8

2.7 ± 729 0.0

0.1 ± 0.2

3.2 ± 0.6

3.2 ± 0.6

0.0 ± 0.3

4.7 ± 1.4†

4.6 ± 1.3

0.0 ± 0.5

3.0 ± 0.7

3.1 ± 0.7

0.1 ± 0.3

Legs BMC (g)

1019 ± 123†

1031 ± 125

11 ± 9*

1138 ± 96

1150 ± 105

12 ± 15*

1321 ± 153†

1333 ± 163

11 ± 17

1475 ± 150

1493 ± 152

17 ± 17*

1085 ± 123†

1097 ± 127

12 ± 12*

1422 ± 166

1437 ± 171

15 ± 17*