Citation

Davies RW, Toomey C, McCormack W, O'Neill C, Hughes K, Jakeman P. J. Sports Sci. 2016; 35(24): 2427-2432.

Affiliation

Centre for Intervention in Inflammation, Infection and Immunity , University of Limerick , Limerick , Ireland.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/02640414.2016.1272709

PMID

28005466

Abstract

Longitudinal change in body composition for elite-level inter-county hurlers was reported over a single season and four consecutive seasons. Body composition measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) of 66 senior, male, outfield players was obtained. Four successive measurements were taken: off-season (OFF1), pre-season (PRE), mid-season (MID) and the off-season of the following season (OFF2). A subsample of 11 hurlers were measured at all time points over 4 consecutive seasons. DXA-derived estimates of fat and lean mass were normalised to stature for analysis (kg∙m(‒2)); data are (mean [lower: upper, 95% confidence interval]). A concurrent increase of lean mass (0.31 [0.19: 0.43] kg∙m(‒2)) and loss of fat mass occurred (-0.38 [-0.50: -0.26] kg∙m(‒2)) OFF1 to PRE. Lean mass accrual was maintained PRE to OFF2 while the initial loss of fat mass was restored MID to OFF2 (0.52 [0.40: 0.64] kg ∙ m(‒2)), with the trunk acting as the primary region of change. Over the four seasons, a net increase of lean mass was observed (~ 0.9 [0.4: 1.4] kg per annum) with a negligible overall change for fat mass over time. However, the cycling of fat mass (OFF to PRE and MID to OFF) within each season was recurrent season-to-season.

Language: en

Keywords

DXA; Gaelic games; Hurling; body composition; seasonal