Precision of body composition estimation from commercial bioelectrical impedance analysis devices in male Mexican soccer players

Introduction: Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) estimates fat-free mass in athletes; however, its precision can be affected by technical errors, biological variability, and fluctuations in hydration levels. Objective: to evaluate the technical and biological measurement errors in the estimation of body composition in male Mexican soccer players using commercial BIA devices. Methodology: A quantitative, comparative, correlational longitudinal cohort study was conducted including 31 male soccer players. Participants underwent three assessments across two consecutive laboratory visits: two measurements during the first visit (technical error) and one during the second (biological error). Fat-free mass (FFM) estimated using Omron HBF-306, Tanita BC-514 and Omron HBF-545 BIA devices. To determine the technical error and biological error of measurements, the root means square error (RMSE) and least significant change (LSC). Results: HBF-514 provided the lowest FFM values across the devices. The body fat estimations from BC-545, significant differences were observed in day-to-day assessment (p<0.05). Reliability analysis revealed a RMSE values of 0.52 kg, 0.24 kg and 0.26 kg and LSC values of 2.36 kg, 1.92 kg and 1.68 kg for FFM using HBF-306, BC-545 and HBF-514 respectively. Discussion: The precision of BIA devices was lower compared to other studies conducted on general populations, suggesting that athletes’ characteristics may affect the reliability of these devices. Conclusions: The HBF-306C showed greater variability compared to the other devices while the HBF-514 demonstrates the highest day-to-day reliability, making it a valuable tool for tracking BC in soccer players.