title: Assessment of Body Composition and Sport Performance of Brazilian Paralympic Swim Team Athletes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Body-composition assessments of high-performance athletes are very important for identifying physical performance potential. Although the relationship between the kinanthropometric characteristics and performance abilities of Olympic swimmers is extremely important, this subject is not completely understood for Paralympic swimmers.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between body composition and sport performance in Brazilian Paralympic swimmers 6 mo after training.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experimental pre/posttest design.
  
  
  METHODS
  Research laboratory and field evaluations of swimming were conducted to verify the 50-m freestyle time of each athlete.
  
  
  METHODS
  17 Brazilian Paralympic swim team athletes (12 men, 5 women).
  
  
  METHODS
  Body-composition assessments were performed using a BOD POD, and swimming performance was assessed using the 50-m freestyle, which was performed twice: before and after 6 mo of training.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Increased lean mass and significantly reduced relative fat mass and swimming time (P < .05) were observed 6 mo after training. Furthermore, a positive correlation between body-fat percentage and performance (r = .66, P < .05) was observed, but there was no significant correlation between body density and performance (r = -.14, P > .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  After a 6-mo training period, Paralympic swimmers presented reduced fat mass and increased lean body mass associated with performance, as measured by 50-m freestyle time. These data suggest that reduced fat-mass percentage was significantly correlated with improved swimming performance in Paralympic athletes.
authors.forename: Radamés M V
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Medeiros
authors.forename: Eduardo S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: Valdir A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Lemos
authors.forename: Paulo A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Schwingel
authors.forename: Andressa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vital
authors.forename: Alexandre S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.forename: Murilo M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Barreto
authors.forename: Edilson A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tufik
authors.forename: Marco T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: de Mello
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology*; D001938:Brazil; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013550:Swimming / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: athletes with disabilities; athletic performance; body composition