COMPARISON OF BODY COMPOSITION ACROSS CLASS RANKS IN RESERVE OFFICERS’ TRAINING CORPS (ROTC) CADETS

Authors

Q Johnson
CS Mackey
TWD Muddle
DB Smith
JM DeFreitas

Abstract

Quincy Johnson¹, Cameron S. Mackey¹, Tyler W.D. Muddle¹, Doug B. Smith¹, & Jason M. DeFreitas¹

¹Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK

Body composition (BC) measurements are used to determine qualification for enlistment and to ensure active members are meeting standards. Although there is extensive research on BC in active-duty military, very few have examined ROTC cadets. We hypothesized that longer exposure to ROTC training programs could significantly improve BC with each year in the program. PURPOSE: To compare differences in BC of freshmen, sophomore, junior, and senior ROTC cadets utilizing bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy (BIS) measurements of fat mass (FM; kg), fat mass percentage (FM%), fat free mass (FFM; kg), and fat free mass percentage (FFM%). METHODS: 36 ROTC cadets (14 freshmen, 7 sophomores, 4 juniors, and 11 seniors) volunteered for this study (descriptives in Table 1). Prior to assessment, participants were placed in a supine position for ~10 minutes with their arms abducted and legs separated. Height, weight, and gender were programmed into the BIS device. Two single-tab electrodes were placed on the right side of the body 5cm apart on the wrist and the ankle. Impedance was measured using 256 frequencies between 4kHz and 1000kHz to estimate total body water, extracellular fluid and intracellular fluid based on Cole modelling with Hanai mixture theory, which the BIS device used to estimate the BC variables. Separate 1-way ANOVAs were run for each dependent variable. When appropriate, Bonferroni post hoc analyses were performed. RESULTS: No interaction was observed for FFM between class ranks (P=0.253). However, freshmen had significantly less FFM (P=0.008) and more FM% (P=0.008) than the seniors. Additionally, freshman and sophomores had a significantly greater FM compared with seniors (P=0.002-0.004). CONCLUSIONS: This study observed significant differences in BC across class ranks in ROTC cadets. This suggests that an increased exposure to ROTC training is beneficial for FFM% and FM%.

Recommended Citation

Johnson, Q; Mackey, CS; Muddle, TWD; Smith, DB; and DeFreitas, JM (2018) "COMPARISON OF BODY COMPOSITION ACROSS CLASS RANKS IN RESERVE OFFICERS’ TRAINING CORPS (ROTC) CADETS," International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 11: Iss. 6, Article 40.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol11/iss6/40