Research identifies new cut-off points for overweight and obesity in male athletes

New analysis introduced at this 12 months’s European Congress on Weight problems (ECO 2025, Malaga, Spain, 11–14 Might) reveals that the internationally acknowledged physique mass index (BMI) cut-off factors enormously overestimate obese and weight problems in male athletes. The examine, from Italy, additionally proposes new cut-off factors for obese and weight problems on this group.

The examine has been revealed within the journal Vitamins.

Physique mass index (BMI) is a key technique for measuring folks’s weight standing, defining whether or not they have regular weight, obese or weight problems. It’s simply calculated by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by the sq. of their top in meters.

A BMI of 25 kg/m2 or above is an indicator of obese and a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or above signifies weight problems in white women and men of all ages, in line with the World Well being Group’s (WHO) categorization system.

Nevertheless, some analysis has discovered that this classification system will not be good at figuring out obese and weight problems in athletes and its use on this group has lengthy been topic to criticism.

“BMI does not distinguish between physique fats and lean mass, which incorporates muscle,” explains Professor Marwan El Ghoch, of the Division of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, College of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.

“In consequence, a muscular athlete with low physique fats may be wrongly categorised as residing with obese or weight problems. Regardless of this, many sports activities organizations nonetheless depend on the standard BMI classification system.”

In a brand new examine, Professor El Ghoch and researchers from the College of Verona in Italy and Beirut College in Lebanon got down to decide how correct the BMI cut-offs of 25 and 30 kg/m2 are at figuring out obese and weight problems in male athletes and, in the event that they have been discovered to be inaccurate, to determine higher cut-offs.

The cross-sectional examine concerned 622 males (common age of 25.7 years, BMI ≥ 20 kg/m2) who had been referred to the Division of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Motion Sciences, of the College of Verona, Italy, and took part in sports activities together with soccer, rugby, basketball, volleyball, cross-fit, karate and others at a aggressive stage.

The members have been categorized utilizing the present BMI system and by their physique fats proportion (BF%).

Utilizing the present BMI system, greater than 1 / 4 of the people have been categorized as residing with obese or weight problems. Some 451 (72.5%) people have been of regular weight (BMI 18.5–24.99 kg/m2), 148 (23.8%) people have been with obese (25 kg/m2–29.9 kg/m2) and 23 (3.7%) have been with weight problems (30 kg/m2 and above).

Whole physique fats proportion (BF%) was measured utilizing twin X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans—recognized to be a extremely correct instrument for measuring physique composition—in line with age- and gender-specific cut-off factors. A BF% of 21% or above was categorised as obese and a BF% of 26% or above was categorised as weight problems.

Utilizing this method, fewer than 4% of the people have been categorized as residing with obese or weight problems. Some 598 (96.1%) people have been of regular weight, 19 (3.1%) have been with obese and 5 (0.8%) have been with weight problems.

Professor El Ghoch, who led the examine, says, “This demonstrates that the present BMI cut-off factors are clearly flawed in figuring out weight standing in athletes, as most of the athletes have been misclassified as residing with obese or weight problems, the place, in actuality, only a few had physique fats ranges on this vary.”

The researchers went on to make use of statistical modeling to establish extra correct BMI cut-off factors for younger male athletes. The brand new cut-offs, which take note of athletes’ decrease BF%, are 28.2 kg/m2 for obese and 33.7 kg/m2 for weight problems.

Examine co-author, Professor Chiara Milanese, of the College of Verona, explains, “Though DXA scans measure physique composition precisely, they aren’t at all times out there in sports activities settings. In distinction, weight and top, the 2 measures wanted to calculate BMI, are straightforward to acquire and, with the brand new BMI cut-offs that we recognized, BMI might be a extremely useful gizmo in sports activities golf equipment, each at coaching grounds and in competitions.

“A direct evaluation of physique composition stays the gold commonplace however, in its absence, we encourage sports activities organizations and committees to undertake the brand new BMI classification system.”

The authors add that a number of additional items of analysis are wanted. These embody figuring out new cut-offs for feminine athletes and, doubtlessly, particular cut-offs for various sports activities, significantly those who weren’t included within the present examine.

Offered by
European Affiliation for the Examine of Weight problems