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RESISTANCE TRAINING HOURS PER WEEK DOES NOT IMPACT BODY COMPOSITION IN DIVISION Ⅰ BASEBALL PLAYERS

Abstract

Nicholas J. Spokely1, Joshua R. Lucas1, Jason D. Wagganer1, FACSM, Jeremy T. Barnes1, & Monica L. Kearney1

1Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO

Resistance training is designed to improve muscular fitness by contracting muscles against an external load. Past research has shown that resistance training can optimize lean mass, fat mass, and bone mineral content in a variety of athletic populations. However, no studies have investigated whether weekly resistance training time influences body composition during the off season in division Ⅰ baseball players. PURPOSE: To examine if different times spent resistance training affects body composition two months into the off season in division Ⅰ baseball players. METHODS: Two months into the off season, division Ⅰ baseball players (n=105, age 21 ± 1 yrs) selected the h∙wk-1 spent resistance training for the previous six months and had body composition measured. The resistance training time options, expressed in weekly h:min were < 1, 1-2:59, 3-4:59, 5-6:59, and > 7. Body composition was measured using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), which included total lean mass (TLM), total fat mass (TFM), and body fat % (DXA%). After screening data for normality, one-way analyses of variance (ANOVA) were used to compare resistance training time categories and TLM, TFM, and DXA%. RESULTS: Means for TLM, TFM, and DXA% for all participants were 68 ± 6 kg, 19 ± 7 kg, and 21 ± 6, respectively. The most selected resistance training time block was 3-4:59 h∙wk-1. No significant main effects were found for resistance training time categories for any body composition variables (TLM, f=1.88, p=0.120; TFM, f=1.59, p=0.182; DXA%, f=2.11, p=0.085). CONCLUSION: There was no effect of time spent resistance training on body composition in division Ⅰ baseball players two months into the off season. A limitation of this study was allowing athletes to self-select the time spent training from five options as opposed to logging this information over the course of a week. Future research should also track the nutritional status of the athletes and investigate effects of additional resistance training variables such as training volume, intensity, frequency, and exercise selection.

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