title: Body fat in children and adolescents participating in organized sports: Descriptive epidemiological study of 6048 Latvian athletes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pressure among young athletes to meet body composition goals may lead to poor nutrition and affect growth.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the proportion of body fat (%BF), measured by bioimpedance analysis, among Latvian children and adolescents participating in organized sports.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our study had a nationally representative sample of 6048 young athletes, aged 10-17 years. Their %BF was measured using a multifrequency, 8-pole, bioelectrical impedance leg-to-hand analyzer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  About 19.2% (CI 14.4-20.0) of boys and 15.1% (CI 14.0-16.3) of girls had a %BF value below the recommended levels. The %BF in young female athletes participating in aesthetic sports was lower than among their peers participating in other sports. Young male athletes participating in aesthetic sports had lower %BF levels at 10 and 12 years of age, compared with participants in weight-class sports; and lower levels of %BF from age 10-14 years, compared with participants in non-weight-sensitive sports.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Almost every fifth child and adolescent participating in organized sports displayed critically low body fat levels. Body fat needs to be assessed regularly in young athletes, to prevent negative consequences on health.
authors.affiliation: State Sports Medicine Centre, Riga, Latvia Latvian University, Riga, Latvia.
authors.forename: Liga
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kalnina
authors.affiliation: State Sports Medicine Centre, Riga, Latvia melita@latnet.lv.
authors.forename: Melita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sauka
authors.affiliation: Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Toomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Timpka
authors.affiliation: Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Örjan
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Dahlström
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Physiology, County Council of Östergötland, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nylander
authors.affiliation: State Sports Medicine Centre, Riga, Latvia Riga Stradins University, Riga, Latvia.
authors.forename: Guntars
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Selga
authors.affiliation: Latvian University, Riga, Latvia.
authors.forename: Renate
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ligere
authors.affiliation: Latvian University, Riga, Latvia.
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Karklina
authors.affiliation: State Sports Medicine Centre, Riga, Latvia.
authors.forename: Ilga S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Priedite
authors.affiliation: Latvian Academy of Sports Education, Latvia.
authors.forename: Viesturs
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Larins
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D000293:Adolescent; D056352:Athletes / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017097:Electric Impedance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007844:Latvia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000453:epidemiology; D012016:Reference Values; D013177:Sports
keywords: Adolescents; Latvia; aesthetic sports; body fat; body mass index; children; eating disorders; percentage body fat; reference curves; sport types; sports; young athletes