title: Adiposity and regional body fat distribution in physically active young and middle-aged women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test the hypothesis that age does not directly influence body composition or regional body fat distribution throughout middle age in women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty female endurance athletes of similar competitive ranking ranging in age from 23-56 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Body composition (hydrodensitometry and skinfolds) and regional body fat distribution (waist and hip circumference and tricep, subscapular, suprailiac, abdomen and thigh skinfolds); maximal oxygen uptake.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In contrast to the age-related increases in total and regional body fat levels and decreases in fat-free mass in the general population of women, there were no significant trends for changes in body composition or regional body fat distribution in our cross-section of highly physically active subjects with age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that age-related increases in total body fat and decreases in fat-free mass may be a result of reduced chronic physical activity levels with age rather than an inevitable consequence of the aging process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, University of Colorado, Boulder 80309, USA. davy@ucsu.Colorado.edu
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Davy
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: E T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Stevenson
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Seals
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology*; D001824:Body Constitution; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*; D012885:Skinfold Thickness