2022, Volume 18, Issue 1
Body composition of female military cadets in a four-year cycle of study
Andrzej Chodała1, Marcin Ostaszewski1
1Faculty of Physical Education, Military University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
Author for correspondence: Andrzej Chodała; Faculty of Physical Education, Military University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland; email: andrysz@poczta.onet.pl
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Abstract
Background & Study Aim: Body composition (BC) analysis is carried out to determine the proportion of body components, fat and lean body mass, and the amount of body fluids. Measurement results determine body fat status in situations of health indications (obesity, anorexia, cystic fibrosis, convalescence). Such tests are also used in certain endocrine disorders. BC analysis is also used in healthy individuals (e.g., monitoring the effectiveness of sports training, dietary indications, preventive examinations). The purpose of this study is to know the likely changes in body composition of young women studying at a military academy.
Material & Methods: Thirty female military cadets were studied: average age 19.4 years (range 18 to 22 years). The study was conducted four times, each time at the beginning of the following academic year Body composition assessment of female military cadets was carried out using a professional body composition analyser from Jawon Medical model X- SCAN PLUS 970. The analysis was based on the following indices: body composition (BC); body height (cm); body weight (kg), body mass index (BMI); soft lean mass (SLM); waist to hip circumference ratio (WHR); lean body mass (LBM); mass of body fat (MBF); body cell mass (BCM); skeletal muscle mass (SMM), Phase angle estimate (phase angle) TS, (total score) score index, which informs about body constitution.
Results: The study group could be described as homogeneous. A few female military cadets showed slight obesity or features of malnutrition. Differences in mean BMI scores over a four-year cycle ranged from -0.5 to 0.3%. The difference of extreme cycles is −0.2%. LBM measurements showed that each cycle the weight of about 68% of the women was within normal limits. Similar results were found when measuring BCM. The protein and mineral content of SLM was a stable quantity over the four-year test cycle. Changes in mean SMM was found to −0.5%. The optimal amount of muscle tissue was found in 70% of the subjects. The proportions of the study women's membership in the above- or below-normal groups are very similar in each cycle. The total score (TS) women's health status indicates that it is at a good level. The average TS in each year of the study exceeded the standard indicating a desirable score (70 points). At all stages of the study, no woman was found with a score lower than 70 points, and a significant number of women surveyed were diagnosed with very good health (95 points). However, in successive cycles of measurement, the average TS scores are getting lower The largest decrease was observed between the 1st and 4th survey (–7.7%).
Conclusions: The results of the study proved that the cellular capacity for metabolic processes of female cadets is normal. These and other research results can be a rationale for women to take a more comprehensive approach to their bodies: planning a balanced diet, undertaking permanent physical activity, maintaining the right proportion of work and rest time, etc. It is also necessary to realize that the correct relationships of BM components and their optimal levels are related to many soldiering skills, which has been empirically proven many times.
Key words: balanced diet, condition, impedance analysis, obesity
