Proposal for a predictive equation for body fat percentage in young soccer players.
Anthropometry, Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry, body composition, youth
Body fat is a factor that influences the performance of youth athletes and should be frequently monitored. In clinical practice, the use of predictive equations based on skinfold thickness is one of the most common methods for estimating body fat. However, specific equations for youth soccer players are scarce. Given the importance of population-specific equations, this study proposed a new equation to predict body fat percentage (%BF) in youth male soccer players. Our secondary objective was to compare its performance with other equations frequently used in this population. A total of 105 male youth soccer players were included. Body fat percentage was assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Anthropometric assessment included eight skinfolds, seven body circumferences, and BMI (weight × height²). For the equation derived from linear regression, anthropometric variables and age were considered as potential predictors. The Bland–Altman test was used to assess agreement between the proposed and DEXA-derived values. Age and the triceps (TSF), abdomen (ASF), and calf (CSF) skinfolds composed the predictive model with the best performance (adjusted R² = 0.788). Based on this model, the following equation was developed: %BF = 14.14 + (TSF × 0.586) + (ASF × 0.228) – (age × 0.560) + (CSF × 0.281). Compared with the other equations, the proposed model showed the lowest absolute error percentage (12.69%) and was the only one with a non-significant prediction bias (p > 0.05). In summary, the proposed equation represents a practical and feasible alternative for assessing %BF in youth soccer players, especially in contexts where DEXA assessment is not available.