Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 10, 2025
06:48
Author Spotlight: Advancements in 3D Optical Imaging for Comprehensive Body Composition Assessment in Modern Research
Published on: June 7, 2024
1.4K
Association between phase angle and body composition components in adolescent athletes: a cross-sectional study
Jean Carlos Parmigiani De Marco1, Tiago Rodrigues de Lima1, Pedro Biehl Tanimoto1
1Department of Physical Education, State University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
Physiological Measurement
|August 27, 2025
Summary
Phase angle (PhA) in adolescent athletes correlates with body composition, showing positive links to lean mass and bone density, and negative links to fat percentage. These associations differ by sex and maturity stage.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Human Physiology
- Body Composition Analysis
Background:
- Phase angle (PhA) is a bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) metric reflecting cell membrane integrity and body cell mass.
- Understanding PhA's relationship with body composition is crucial for optimizing athletic performance and health in adolescents.
- Previous research has not fully elucidated these associations across different sexes and sexual maturity stages in young athletes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between phase angle (PhA) and body fat percentage, lean soft tissue, and bone mineral density (BMD) in adolescent athletes.
- To examine these associations overall and stratified by sex and sexual maturity stage.
- To provide insights for tailored body composition assessments in young athletes.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 112 adolescent athletes (mean age 14.25 ± 2.08 years).
- Body composition (body fat percentage, lean soft tissue, BMD) assessed via dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA).
- PhA measured using BIA (50 kHz); statistical analyses included multiple linear regression.
Main Results:
- Overall, PhA was negatively associated with body fat percentage and positively with lean soft tissue and BMD.
- Sex-stratified analysis revealed negative PhA-fat percentage association in girls and positive PhA-lean soft tissue/BMD associations in boys.
- Maturity-stratified analysis showed negative PhA-fat percentage association in pubertal athletes and positive PhA-lean soft tissue/BMD associations in both pubertal and post-pubertal athletes.
Conclusions:
- PhA demonstrates significant associations with body composition parameters in adolescent athletes.
- These associations are modulated by sex and sexual maturity, highlighting the need for personalized interpretation.
- PhA can be a valuable, albeit context-dependent, indicator of body composition in adolescent athletic populations.
