LAUSR

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to establish normative fat-free mass index (FFMI) ranges in collegiate female athletes. A sample of 266 female athletes (Mean±SD; Age: 19.7 ± 1.5 yrs, Height: 166.0 ± 6.4 cm, Weight: 63.2 ± 8.8 kg) were included in analyses. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measured bone mineral content (BMC; kg) and lean mass (LM; kg). Fat-free mass index was calculated as follows: FFMI = (BMC + LM)/Height2. Participants were classified by sport: cross-country (XC), field hockey, football, gymnastics, lacrosse, resistance-trained, swimming track. Mean, range and percentile ranks of FFMI were calculated for the full sample for each cohort. For all females, mean FFMI was 16.9 ± 1.7 kg/m2, FFMI values ranged from 13.3 to 25.5 kg/m2. The XC athletes had the lowest FFMI (15.3 ± 0.96 kg/m2; p < 0.001). Mean FFMI measures were similar between all other female athletes. Percentile ranks varied across sport; median FFMI was highest for football (18.0 kg/m2), lowest for XC (15.1 kg/m2) and ranged between 16.4 and 17.3 kg/m2 for all other athletes. Establishing sport-specific FFMI values for female athletes may be beneficial for athletes and coaches by leading to more appropriate body composition goals based on FFM.