Raw Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) Variables and Physical Fitness in Semi-Professional Basketball Players

Body composition (BC) and physical performance are routinely assessed in athletes. Incomplete data are available on BC and its relationships with physical fitness in basketball players. Our study aimed to evaluate differences in raw BIA variables such as impedance ratio=IR and phase angle=PhA, and their relationships with physical fitness in semi-professional male basketball players compared to controls. Fourteen basketball players (age 21.9 +/- 5.3 years, body weight 84.6 +/- 11.3 kg, body mass index=BMI 24.6 +/- 2.0 kg/m(2)) and fifty-seven control men (age 22.6 +/- 2.0 years, body weight 75.1 +/- 9.4 kg, BMI 24.1 +/- 2.3 kg/m(2)) participated in the study. BC was assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and physical fitness using handgrip strength (HGS), long jump (L-J), squat jump (SQ-J) and counter-movement jump (CM-J). PhAs were higher and IRs were lower in basketball players for the whole body and limbs. Differences in HGS between groups did not persist after adjusting for body weight, whereas L-J (+32.6%), SQ-J (+35.4%) and CM-J (+28.7%) were clearly higher in the basketball group. HGS, L-J, SQ-J and CM-J significantly correlated with both IRs and PhAs (whole body and limbs). In conclusion, this study shows that raw BIA variables were significantly different in semi-professional basketball players compared to controls and also exhibit significant relationships with physical fitness.