My data shows an increase in pectoral, subscapular, suprailiac, triceps, biceps, midaxillar and sum of skinfold fat thicknesses (from 100 to 112) over the four-year period however there is a decrease in thigh (from 15.56 to 14.21) and calf (10.02 to 9.50) skinfold fat thicknesses over the four year period from 18 to 22 age.
This may be explained by the increased body weight that the lower extremities have to bear. But i dont find references for this statement.
Hi, Have you considered intraobserver error? Each researcher have the yours.Are you certificated by the ISAK (The International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry)?
Hi; thanks for your nice point . But, skinfold was measured by a same person (me) throughout the follow-up study. I am not certificated by the ISAK but i am qualified sports scientist and physiotherapist. I took skinfold measurement assesment from more then 4000 thousand during all my studies. I dont have any doubt about my data's reliability and intraobserver error effect should be so little because during second assessment i didnt check first data and all my other data is related
No doubt you have experience, but I have measured many times and I am ISAK 3 and I have an error within 6%, so if I measures a skindfold is 9.4 or 10.6 mm I have in consideration this error for interpret the data.
There were changes in the body mass?
Hi,
This is interesting question as there is very limited literature which addresses this important observation.
Your specific finding matches with the literature of previous studies.
Your observation points specifically to the relation between the reduction in skin folds of lower extremities and running or training performance.
The lower extremity skin folds would facilitate running performance because while running, the higher relative body mass distributed in the lower limbs would probably require more muscular effort to accelerate the legs which will involve more energetic expenditure.
So, your observation is actually validating and reproducing results of very few studies done and published similar results that training over period of few years (3 or 4 years) resulted in reduction of the lower limb skin folds.
Specifically speaking, there is evidence that the decrease in the thigh skin folds is related to changes in running performance.
The loss of body fat is specific to muscular groups used during training and that is why some investigators consider measuring of lower limb skin folds could be useful predictor of running performance.
You can have a look at the following related literature;
1. Eston R, Rowlands V, Charlesworth S, et al. Prediction of DXA-determined whole body fat from skinfolds: importance of including skinfolds from the thigh and calf in young, healthy men and women. Eur J Clin Nutr 2005;59:695–702.
2. Legaz A, Serrano E. Skinfold thicknesses associated with distance running
performance in highly trained runners. J Sports Sci. 2005.
Good luck.
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