Body Composition and Lifestyles in Athletes With Disabilities

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Diet: frequency of food and supplement consumption

body composition: body composition assessment

Physical activity: Physical activity level

health status: perception of health status

Study summary

Disability involves limitations that affect mobility and the ability to perform daily activities and achieve competitive goals. It is expected that disability has a significant impact on body composition, including reductions in lean mass and bone mineral content, and increases in fat mass and its distribution. Additionally, the assessment of food and dietary supplement intake among athletes with disabilities remains poorly described, despite its relevance in both sports and health contexts due to the potential benefits of individualized nutritional strategies.

This research project, entitled Anthropometric, Dietary, Exercise, and Supplementation Profile in Athletes with Disabilities (PADES), aims to describe the anthropometric characteristics, physical exercise practices, and food and supplement intake in Spanish athletes with disabilities. The study seeks to address the current lack of standardized anthropometric data and the limited information on dietary and supplementation patterns in this population, which hinders a comprehensive understanding of the physiological, nutritional, and biomechanical aspects essential for their health and athletic performance. A cross-sectional, descriptive-correlational study will be conducted in Spanish athletes with disabilities recruited through the Spanish Federation of Sports for People with Physical Disabilities (FEDDF), the Spanish Federation of Sports for the Blind (FEDC), and the Spanish Federation of Sports for the Deaf (FEDS).

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Body Mass — 4 years
  Measure: body mass. Unit of Measure: kilograms (kg). Description: measured using a SECA 862 scale or SECA 676 wheelchair scale according to the ISAK protocol.
• Linear Dimensions (Stature, Girths, Lengths and Breadths) — 4 years
  Measures: stretch stature, sitting height, arm span, girths, lengths and breadths. Unit of Measure: centimeters (cm). Description: stretch stature and sitting height will be measured using a SECA 217 stadiometer; arm span will be measured using a Smartmet arm-span device; girths will be measured using an inextensible Smartmet metal tape; breadths will be measured using a Holtain small sliding caliper and a Realmet large sliding caliper; and lengths will be determined using a Smartmet segmometer according to the ISAK protocol.
• Skinfolds — 4 years
  Measure: skinfolds (triceps, subscapular, biceps, iliac crest, supraspinale, abdominal, thigh and calf). Unit of Measure: millimeters (mm). Description: measured with a Holtain skinfold caliper following the ISAK protocol.
• Body Composition Variables — 4 years
  Measures: fat mass, fat-free mass, adipose mass, muscle mass, and bone mass. Unit of Measure: kilograms (kg). Description: fat mass will be estimated using the Katch-McArdle (1973) equation, based on body mass and selected skinfolds; fat-free mass will be estimated as the difference between body mass and fat mass; adipose mass will be estimated using the Kerr (1991) equation, based on stretch stature and selected skinfolds; muscle mass will be estimated using the Lee (2000) equation, based on stretch stature and corrected girths; and bone mass will be estimated using the Rocha (1974) equation, based on stretch stature and selected breadths.

Trial sites (1)

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