BMI changes among marching artists: a longitudinal study.

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Physiology
• Performance Analysis

Background:

• Marching arts, such as drum and bugle corps, involve intense physical demands.
• Understanding body mass index (BMI) changes in these athletes is crucial for performance and health.
• Longitudinal data on BMI fluctuations in marching performers is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze changes in body mass index (BMI) among drum and bugle corps performers throughout a competitive season and during a 1-year follow-up.
• To investigate the relationship between athletic identity and BMI changes in these performers.
• To provide insights into the physiological adaptations and potential health implications for marching artists.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal analysis of archival body mass index (BMI) data from 501 marching arts performers across four world-class drum and bugle corps.
• Comparison of BMI at the start of the season (Time 1), end of the season (Time 2), and 1-year follow-up (Time 3).
• Correlational analysis of BMI changes with athletic identity measures in a subset of 50 performers.

Main Results:

• Significant BMI reductions were observed from Time 1 to Time 2 across all performer sections (brass, percussion, color guard).
• BMI significantly increased from Time 2 to Time 3 (post-season) in 92 performers.
• A negative correlation was found between athletic identity and BMI change from Time 1 to Time 3 and Time 2 to Time 3, indicating stronger athletic identity was associated with lower BMI changes.

Conclusions:

• Marching arts performers experience significant BMI fluctuations related to their competitive season.
• Athletic identity may play a protective role in mitigating post-season BMI increases.
• Further research should explore nutritional and training interventions to manage BMI in marching performers.