BODY COMPOSITION ASSESSMENT IN FEMALE NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION DIVISION I SOFTBALL ATHLETES AS A FUNCTION OF PLAYING POSITION ACROSS A MULTIYEAR TIME FRAME

The purpose of this study was to record changes in total body mass, lean body mass (LBM), fat mass (FM), and body fat percentage (BF%) in female National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level softball athletes over a multiyear time frame using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (iDXA). Forty-two (20.36 +/- 1.59 years) NCAA Division I collegiate softball athletes volunteered over 2 years. Subjects tested 3 times throughout the season (pre-season, mid-season, and post-season) in 2015-2017. Total and regional LBM, FM, and BF% were measured by the iDXA. A mixed-design analysis of variance was performed to examine LBM, FM, BF%, and player position interaction over time. Where appropriate, post hoc tests were used to determine statistically different variables (p <= 0.05). Lean body mass decreased significantly (p = 0.048) from mid-season (50.02 +/- 0.28) to post season (49.67 +/- 0.37). Fat mass and BF% decreased significantly for all playing positions over the season except for pitchers, who showed significantly (p < 0.000) higher levels of FM (26.56 +/- 1.74) and BF % (31.77 +/- 1.14) than all other positions. The current study revealed that all athletes decreased in LBM during the competitive season. Pitchers from this study consistently maintain a higher FM and BF% than the catchers, infielders, and outfielders. These data reveal that more emphasis of training and conditioning for optimal performance should be focused on the pitching position to maintain a healthy body composition.