Luedke, Joel

The purpose of this study was to examine sex differences in resting metabolic rate (RMR) and associations between measured RMR and body composition parameters in athletes. One-hundred and ninety collegiate men (n = 98; age: 20.1 ± 1.6 yr.; body mass: 92.7 ± 17.5 kg; height: 181.6 ± 6.2 cm, body mass index: 28.0 ± 4.7 kg/m2) and women (n = 92; age: 19.4 ± 1.1 yr.; body mass: 65.2 ± 11.0 kg; height: 168.0 ± 6.6 cm, body mass index: 23.0 ± 3.6 kg/m2) athletes volunteered to participate in this study. Athletes completed a body composition assessment using air displacement plethysmography and RMR using indirect calorimetry. Assessments were completed in a fasted state and after refraining from intense physical activity > 24 h prior to testing. Data were collected during the 2016–2019 seasons. Men had a higher RMR compared to women (2595 ± 433 vs. 1709 ± 308 kcals; p < 0.001); however, when adjusted for body mass (p = 0.064) and fat-free mass (p = 0.084), the observed differences were not significant. Height, body mass, body mass index, fat-free mass, and fat mass were positively associated with RMR in both men and women athletes (r = 0.4–0.8; p < 0.001). Body mass (men: β = 0.784; women: β = 0.832)) was the strongest predictor of RMR. Men athletes have a higher absolute RMR compared to their women counterparts, which is influenced by greater body mass and fat-free mass. Body mass is the strongest predictor of RMR in both men and women athletes.

Firefighters often complete air management courses (AMC) to assess the ability to tolerate personal protective equipment, appropriately manage the breathing system and assess occupational performance. Little information is known relative to the physiological demands of AMCs, nor how to assess work efficiency in order to characterize occupational performance and evaluate progress. Purpose: To assess the physiological demands of an AMC and examine differences across BMI categories. A secondary aim was to develop an equation to assess work efficiency in firefighters. Methods: Fifty-seven firefighters (Women, n = 4; age: 37.2 ± 8.4 yr.; height: 182.0 ± 6.9 cm; body mass: 90.8 ± 13.1 kg; BMI: 27.8 ± 3.6 kg·m−2) completed an AMC per routine evaluation while wearing a department issued self-contained breathing apparatus and full protective gear. Course completion time, starting pounds per square inch (PSI) on the air cylinder, changes in PSI, and distance traveled were recorded. All firefighters were equipped with a wearable sensor integrated with a triaxial accelerometer and telemetry to assess movement kinematics, heart rate, energy expenditure, and training impulse. The AMC consisted of an initial section involving a hose line advance, rescue (body drag), stair climb, ladder raise, and forcible entry. This section was followed by a repeating loop, which consisted of a stair climb, search, hoist, and recovery walk. Firefighters repeated the course loop until the self-contained breathing apparatus air supply pressure reached 200 PSI, at which time they were instructed to lay down until the PSI reached zero. Results: Average completion time was 22.8 ± 1.4 min, with a mean distance of 1.4 ± 0.3 km and an average velocity of 2.4 ± 1.2 m·s−1. Throughout the AMC, the mean heart rate was 158.7 ± 11.5 bpm equating to 86.8 ± 6.3% of the age-predicted max heart rate and a training impulse of 55 ± 3 AU. Mean energy expenditure was 464 ± 86 kcals and work efficiency was 49.8 ± 14.9 km·PSI−1·s. Regression analysis determined that fat-free mass index (R2 = 0.315; β = −5.069), body fat percentage (R2 = 0.139; β = −0.853), fat-free mass (R2 = 0.176; β = −0.744), weight (R2 = 0.329; β = −0.681), and age (R2 = 0.096; β = −0.571) were significant predictors of work efficiency. Conclusions: The AMC is a highly aerobic task with near-maximal heart rates reached throughout the course. Smaller and leaner individuals achieved a higher degree of work efficiency during the AMC.

ABSTRACTPredictive resting metabolic rate (RMR) equations are widely used to determine total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). However, it remains unclear whether these predictive RMR equations accurately predict TDEE in the athletic populations. The purpose of this study was to examine the accuracy of 10 commonly used RMR prediction equations (Cunningham, De Lorenzo, Freire, Harris‐Benedict, Mifflin St. Jeor, Nelson, Owen, Tinsley, Watson, Schofield) in collegiate men and women athletes. One‐hundred eighty‐seven National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III men (n = 97) and women (n = 90) athletes were recruited to participate in one day of metabolic testing. RMR was measured using indirect calorimetry and body composition was analyzed using air displacement plethysmography. A repeated measures ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc analyses was selected to determine mean differences between measured and predicted RMR. Linear regression analysis was used to assess the accuracy of each RMR prediction method (p<0.05). All prediction equations significantly underestimated RMR (p<0.001), although there was no difference between the De Lorenzo and Watson equations and measured RMR (p = 1.00) for women, only. In men, the Tinsley and Freire equations were the most agreeable formulas with the lowest root‐mean‐square prediction error value of 404 and 412 kcals, respectively. In women, the De Lorenzo and Watson equations were the most agreeable equations with the lowest root‐mean‐squared error value of 171 and 211 kcals, respectively. The results demonstrate that such RMR equations may underestimate actual energy requirements of athletes and thus, practitioners should interpret such values with caution.

Abstract Brandner, CF, Harty, PS, Luedke, JA, Erickson, JL, and Jagim, AR. Sport differences in fat-free mass index among a diverse sample of NCAA Division III collegiate athletes. J Strength Cond Res 36(8): 2212–2217, 2022—Fat-free mass index (FFMI) is becoming a popular metric to determine an athlete's potential for future fat-free mass accrual or to identify athletes who may be at risk for low fat-free mass (FFM). The aim of the current study was to examine sport-specific differences in FFMI among a cohort of collegiate athletes. NCAA Division III male ( n = 98; age: 20.1 ± 1.6 years, height: 1.82 ± 0.06 m, body mass: 92.7 ± 17.5 kg, %BF: 15.6 ± 8.8%) and female ( n = 92; age: 19.45 ± 1.1 years, height: 1.68 ± 0.06 m, body mass: 65.16 ± 11.04 kg, %BF: 22.71 ± 5.9%) athletes completed a body composition assessment using air displacement plethysmography. Fat-free mass index was calculated by dividing FFM by height squared. The mean ± SD FFMI was significantly higher ( p < 0.05) for males (23.37 ± 2.41 kg·m −2 ) compared with females (17.54 ± 1.8 kg·m −2 ). There was a significant main effect for sport category. Post hoc analysis indicated that throwers had a higher ( p < 0.001) FFMI (mean difference, 95% confidence interval) compared with sprinters and soccer athletes (4.17, 2.03–6.32 kg·m −2 ), endurance and weight-sensitive athletes (4.91, 2.67–7.14 kg·m −2 ), and court sport athletes (4.39, 1.97–6.81 kg·m −2 ), respectively, among female athletes. Post hoc analysis indicated that football players had a higher ( p < 0.01) FFMI than distance runners (3.89, 2.15, 5.62) and wrestlers (2.23, 0.78, 3.68), among male athletes. These findings indicate that sex differences in FFMI exist, with differences identified between sports. These findings can guide strength and nutritional programming decisions by providing sport-specific normative data profiles.

Research quantifying the unique workload demands of starters and reserves in training and match settings throughout a season in collegiate soccer is limited. Purpose: The purpose of the current study is to compare accumulated workloads between starters and reserves in collegiate soccer. Methods: Twenty-two NCAA Division III female soccer athletes (height: 1.67 ± 0.05 m; body mass: 65.42 ± 6.33 kg; fat-free mass: 48.99 ± 3.81 kg; body fat %: 25.22 ± 4.78%) were equipped with wearable global positioning systems with on-board inertial sensors, which assessed a proprietary training load metric and distance covered for each practice and 22 matches throughout an entire season. Nine players were classified as starters (S), defined as those playing >50% of playing time throughout the entire season. The remaining 17 were reserves (R). Goalkeepers were excluded. A one-way ANOVA was used to determine the extent of differences in accumulated training load throughout the season by player status. Results: Accumulated training load and total distance covered for starters were greater than reserves ((S: 9431 ± 1471 vs. R: 6310 ± 2263 AU; p < 0.001) and (S: 401.7 ± 31.9 vs. R: 272.9 ± 51.4 km; p < 0.001), respectively) throughout the season. Conclusions: Starters covered a much greater distance throughout the season, resulting in almost double the training load compared to reserves. It is unknown if the high workloads experienced by starters or the low workloads of the reserves is more problematic. Managing player workloads in soccer may require attention to address potential imbalances that emerge between starters and reserves throughout a season.

Sport nutrition knowledge has been shown to influence dietary habits of athletes. The purpose of the current study was to examine relationships between sport nutrition knowledge and body composition and examine potential predictors of body weight goals in collegiate athletes. Participants included National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III women (n = 42, height: 169.9 ± 6.9 cm; body mass: 67.1 ± 8.6 kg; fat-free mass: 51.3 ± 6.6 kg; body fat percent: 24.2 ± 5.3%) and men (n = 25, height: 180.8 ± 7.2 cm; body mass: 89.2 ± 20.5 kg; fat-free mass: 75.9 ± 12.2 kg; body fat percent: 13.5 ± 8.9%) athletes. Body composition was assessed via air displacement plethysmography. Athletes completed a validated questionnaire designed to assess sport nutrition knowledge and were asked questions about their perceived dietary energy and macronutrient requirements, as well as their body weight goal (i.e., lose, maintain, gain weight). Athletes answered 47.98 ± 11.29% of questions correctly on the nutrition questionnaire with no differences observed between sexes (men: 49.52 ± 11.76% vs. women: 47.03 ± 11.04%; p = 0.40). An inverse relationship between sport nutrition knowledge scores and body fat percentage (BF%) (r = −0.330; p = 0.008), and fat mass (r = −0.268; p = 0.032) was observed for all athletes. Fat mass (β = 0.224), BF% (β = 0.217), and body mass index (BMI) (β = 0.421) were all significant (p < 0.05) predictors of body weight goal in women. All athletes significantly (p < 0.001) underestimated daily energy (−1360 ± 610.2 kcal/day), carbohydrate (−301.6 ± 149.2 grams/day [g/day]), and fat (−41.4 ± 34.5 g/day) requirements. Division III collegiate athletes have a low level of sport nutrition knowledge, which was associated with a higher BF%. Women athletes with a higher body weight, BF% and BMI were more likely to select weight loss as a body weight goal. Athletes also significantly underestimated their energy and carbohydrate requirements based upon the demands of their sport, independent of sex.