Assessment of body composition and nutritional risks in young ballet dancers – the bioelectrical impedance analysis
Published Online: May 14, 2020
Page range: 26 - 30
Received: Mar 30, 2020
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/joeb-2020-0005
Keywords
© 2020 Maria Alessandra Gammone et al., published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.
Background
Young ballet dancers are at risk of health issues associated with altered nutritional status and of relative energy deficiency in sport compared to the general population.
Aim
To evaluate the nutritional status and body composition in ballet dancers.
Materials and methods
The study group consisted of 40 young ballet dancers (mean age 19.97 years). Height and weight were measured and body mass index was calculated in all subjects (mean BMI value 19.79 kg/m2, SD: 2.051). Body composition was estimated using the bioelectrical impedance method.
Results
The dancers’ fat-free mass was 47.33 kg (SD: 5.064) and, on the average, body fat represented the 15.92% (SD: 16.91) of their body weight.
Conclusions
Ballet dancers, who usually show significantly lower BMI values compared to the general population, also displayed body fat values under the suggested range. Some screening for altered nutritional status should be performed. In addition, education programs should be recommended in young ballet dancers, in order to inform about energy and nutrition requirements for health and training and to prevent malnutrition-related problems.