Body composition and bone mineral density in athletes with a physical impairment

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Exercise Physiology
• Disability Studies

Background:

• Understanding body composition (BC) and bone mineral density (BMD) is crucial for athletes with physical impairments (PI) to tailor dietary advice.
• The type and severity of disability significantly influence BC and BMD, necessitating individualized approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how the type of disability (spinal cord injury [SCI] vs. unilateral lower limb amputation [AMP]) affects BC and BMD in athletes.
• To analyze regional fat mass distribution and BMD patterns in athletes with PI compared to able-bodied (AB) athletes.

Main Methods:

• Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) scans were performed on 42 male athletes with SCI (n=24) and AMP (n=18).
• Athletes with PI were age-matched with 42 able-bodied (AB) athletes for comparison.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in percentage fat mass (%FM) were observed across SCI, AMP, and AB groups (P < 0.001).
• Athletes with SCI exhibited higher %FM than AMP and AB groups, while AMP athletes also had higher %FM than AB athletes.
• Whole-body BMD was negatively impacted in SCI athletes, with many showing osteopenia or osteoporosis, significantly lower than AB and AMP groups (P < 0.008).

Conclusions:

• The type of disability significantly impacts BC and BMD in athletes with PI.
• Separate consideration for athletes with SCI and AMP is recommended for nutrition and training programs.
• Personalized strategies accounting for disability type are essential for optimizing health and performance in athletes with PI.