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Sports/Performance Nutrition (Poster Session)

(P16-008-24) Total and Regional Body Composition of Early to Middle Adulthood Crossfit® Athletes and Nonactive Adults

Sunday, June 30, 2024
12:45 PM – 1:45 PM CT
Location: Poster Board 276

    Presenting Author(s)

  • JR

    James N. Roemmich, PhD

    USDA-ARS Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center
    Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States

    • Co-Author(s)

  • WS

    William Siders, Ph.D

    USDA ARS Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center
    Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States

  • TK

    Tori Kaster, M.S.

    USDA ARS Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center
    Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States

  • DP

    Daniel Palmer

    USDA-ARS Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center

  • KU

    Kelsey Ufholz, PhD

    Case Western Reserve University, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, United States

  • CP

    Christopher L. Pankey, PhD

    West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, United States

Objectives: Maintaining lean soft tissue and bone mineral density during early to middle adulthood is important for delaying the effects of sarcopenia and osteopenia later in life. Physical activity high in intensity and volume is associated with optimal bone health. CrossFit® (CF) training combines high-intensity aerobic, resistance, and floor exercises to stimulate physical fitness and health responses. We tested differences in total and regional body composition between adult CF participants and nonactive (NA) adults.

Methods: 24 CF trained (at least 3 times/wk for the past 3 months, n=11 women) and 24 NA (exercise no more than 1 time/wk for the past 3 months, n=12 women) adults were measured for body composition by iDXA (Lunar Corporation, Madison, WI). Subjects were further categorized into early (≤29y, mean=24y) and middle (30-49y, mean=37y) adulthood.

Results: Linear models testing the main and interactive effects of training group and age group demonstrated no difference (p=0.82) in body weight of CF (77.5kg) and NA (76.6 kg) groups. CF had lower trunk (p < 0.002), android (p=0.001), gynoid (p=0.01), arm (p < 0.003), leg (p < 0.05), and total body (p=0.01) fat mass, lower total body %fat (p=0.002) and greater trunk (p=0.01), arm (p < 0.03), leg (p < 0.02), and total body (p=0.002) lean soft tissue (LST) mass. Younger adults had lower android (p < 0.04) and arm (p < 0.02) fat. CF had greater pelvis (p=0.004), arms (p < 0.01), legs (p < 0.04), spine (p < 0.02), trunk (p < .0009), and total body (p < 0.03) bone mineral density.

Conclusions: CF training, typically high in intensity and volume, is associated with beneficial body composition and bone health with few differences between early- and middle-aged adults. CF training maintained through at least middle adulthood may delay the onset of difficulty performing daily activities, falls, and morbidities associated with the effects of sarcopenia and osteopenia.

Funding Sources: USDA-Agriculture Research Service