Download PDF
Int J Sports Med 2022; 43(01): 41-45
DOI: 10.1055/a-1518-8003
Physiology & Biochemistry

Abdominal Adiposity in Collegiate Football Linemen: A Study of Race and Position

Malia N.M. Blue
1   Department of Exercise Science, High Point University, High Point, United States
,
Katie R. Hirsch
2   Department of Geriatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, United States
,
Gabrielle J. Brewer
3   Korey Stringer Institute, University of Connecticut, Storrs, United States
,
Abbie E. Smith-Ryan
4   Department of Exercise and Sport Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, United States
› Author Affiliations
› Further Information
Also available at
    Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

American football linemen are at an increased risk for developing obesity-related diseases. This study evaluated the impact of race and position on abdominal fat (visceral adipose tissue and android fat percentage) in football linemen. Thirty-four offensive and defensive linemen (%fat: 27.1±7.2%) completed a total body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan to estimate visceral fat and android fat percentage. Participants were stratified by race [Black: n=23; White: n=11] and position (Offense: n=18; Defense: n=16). Two separate two-way ANOVA tests [race × position] were completed. For visceral adipose tissue, there was no interaction (p=0.056), but there was an effect of race (Black: 0.57±0.34 kg; White: 1.51±0.56 kg; p <0.001) and position (Offense: 1.22±0.60 kg; Defense: 0.49±0.34 kg; p<0.001). For android fat percentage, there was no interaction (p=0.855) or race effect (Black: 31.5±11.3%; White: 40.9±8.6%; p=0.123); there was a position effect (Offense: 42.1±5.6%; Defense: 26.0±9.9%; p<0.001). Offensive linemen, regardless of race, had greater visceral adipose tissue and android fat percent compared to defensive linemen. White linemen had greater visceral adipose tissue, regardless of position. These results suggest football linemen, especially offensive linemen with increased abdominal adiposity, may benefit from tracking metabolic health during their collegiate career to mitigate obesity-related disease risk once retired from sport.

Key words

visceral fat - athlete - obesity


Publication History

Received: 31 December 2020

Accepted: 13 May 2021

Article published online:
12 July 2021

© 2021. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

 

  • References

  • 1 Albuquerque FN, Sert Kuniyoshi FH, Calvin AD. et al. Sleep-disordered breathing, hypertension, and obesity in retired national football league players. J Am Coll Cardiol 2010; 56: 1432-1433
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 2 Borchers JR, Clem KL, Habash DL. et al. Metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance in division 1 collegiate football players. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2009; 41: 2105-2110
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 3 Müller MJ, Lagerpusch M, Enderle J. et al. Beyond the body mass index: Tracking body composition in the pathogenesis of obesity and the metabolic syndrome. Obes Rev 2012; 13: 6-13
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 4 Barreira TV, Staiano AE, Harrington DM. et al. Anthropometric correlates of total body fat, abdominal adiposity, and cardiovascular disease risk factors in a biracial sample of men and women. Mayo Clin Proc 2012; 87: 452-460
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 5 Baron S, Rinsky R. NIOSH Mortality Study of NFL Football Players:. 1959 -1988; HETA 88-085; Cincinnati, OH, USA: Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1994
  • 6 Tucker A, Vogel R, Lincoln A. et al. Prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors among National Football League players. JAMA 2009; 301: 2111-2119
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 7 Miller MA, Croft LB, Belanger AR. et al. Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in retired National Football League players. Am J Cardiol 2008; 101: 1281-1284
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 8 Steffes GD, Megura AE, Afams J. et al. Prevalence of metabolic syndrome risk factors in high school and NCAA divsion I football players. J Strength Cond Res 2013; 27: 1749-1757
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 9 Bayliff GE, Jacobson BH, Moghaddam M. et al. Global positioning system monitoring of selected physical demands of NCAA division I football players during games. J Strength Cond Res 2019; 33: 1185-1191
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 10 Churchill TW, Krishnan S, Weisskopf M. et al. Weight gain and health affliction among former national football league players. Am J Med 2018; 131: 1491-1498
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 11 Zong G, Zhang Z, Yang Q. et al. Total and regional adiposity measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and mortality in NHANES 1999-2006. Obesity 2016; 24: 2414-2421
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 12 Bantle AE, Bosch TA, Dengel DR. et al. DXA-determined regional adiposity relates to insulin resistance in a young adult population with overweight and obesity. J Clin Densitom 2019; 22: 287-292
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 13 Ingram KH, Hunter GR, James JF. et al. Central fat accretion and insulin sensitivity: Differential relationships in parous and nulliparous women. Int J Obes 2017; 41: 1214-1217
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 14 Ong KL, Cheung BMY, Man YB. et al. Hypertension among United States adults 1999 – 2004. Hypertension 2007; 49: 69-75
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 15 Kurian AK, Cardarelli KM. Racial and ethnic differences in cardiovascular disease risk factors: a systematic review. Ethn Dis 2007; 17: 143-152
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 16 Sundquist J, Winkleby MA. Cardiovascular risk factors in Mexican American adults: A transcultural analysis of NHANES III, 1988-1994. Am J Public Health 1999; 89: 723-730
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 17 NCAA Demographics Database. 2018 Available from: NCAA.org
  • 18 Hill JO, Sidney S, Lewes CE. et al. Racial differences in amounts of visceral adipose tissue in young adults: the CARDIA (Coronary artery Risk Development in young Adults) study. Am J Clin Nutr 1999; 69: 381-387
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 19 Shah AD, Kandula NR, Lin F. et al. Less favorable body composition and adipokines in south asians compared to other U.S. Ethnic Groups: Results from the MASALA and MESA Studies. Int J Obes 2016; 40: 639-645
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 20 Bosch TA, Burruss TP, Weir NL. et al. Abdominal body composition differences in NFL football players. J Strength Cond Res 2014; 28: 3313-3319
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 21 Bosch TA, Carbuhn AF, Stanforth PR. et al. Body composition and bone mineral density of division 1 collegiate football players: A consortium of college athlete research study. J Strength Cond Res 2019; 33: 1339-1346
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 22 Wagner DR, Heyward VH, Kocina PS. et al. Predictive accuracy of BIA equations for estimating fat-free mass of black men. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1997; 29: 969-974
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 23 Stolarczyk LM, Heyward VH, Goodman JA. et al. Preditive accuracy of bioimpedance equations in estimating fat-free mas of Hispanic Women. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1995; 1450-1456
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 24 Harriss DJ, MacSween A, Atkinson G. Ethical standards in sport and exercise science research: 2020 update. Int J Sports Med 2019; 40: 813-817
    Thieme ConnectPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 25 Kaul S, Rothney MP, Peters DM, Wacker WK. et al. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry for quantification of visceral fat. Obesity 2012; 20: 1313-1318
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 26 Swainson MG, Batterham AM, Hind K. Age- and sex-specific reference intervals for visceral fat mass in adults. Int J Obes 2020; 44: 289-296
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 27 Hirsch KR, Blue MNM, Trexler ET, Smith-Ryan AE. Visceral adipose tissue normative values in adults from the United States using GE Lunar iDXA. Clin Physiol Funct Imaging 2019; 39: 407-414
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 28 Czeck MA, Raymond-Pope CJ, Bosch TA. et al. Total and regional body composition of NCAA division I collegiate baseball athletes. Int J Sports Med 2019; 40: 447-452
    Thieme ConnectPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 29 Neeland IJ, Grundy SM, Li X. et al. Comparison of visceral fat mass measurement by dual-X-ray absorptiometry and magnetic resonance imaging in a multiethnic cohort: the Dallas Heart Study. Nutr Diabetes 2016; 6: e221
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 30 Trexler ET, Smith-Ryan AE, Mann JB. et al. Longitudinal body composition changes in NCAA division I college football players. J Strength Cond Res 2017; 31: 1-8
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 31 Raymond CJ, Dengel DR, Bosch TA. Total and segmental body composition examination in collegiate football players using multifrequency BIA And DXA. J Strength Cond Res 2017; 32: 772-782
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 32 Dengel D, Bosch T, Burruss T. et al. Body composition and bone mineral density of national football league players. J Strength Cond Res 2014; 28: 1-6
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar