Regional body composition changes in women after 6 months of periodized physical training

Data are lacking regarding regional morphological changes among women after prolonged physical training. This study employed dual-energy X-ray absorpt iometry to assess changes in whole body and regional (i.e., trunk, legs, ar ms) fat mass, lean mass, and bone mineral content body composition adaptati ons in 31 healthy women pre-, mid-, and post-6 mo of periodized physical tr aining. These results were compared with those of 1) a control group of wom en who had not undergone the training program and were assessed pre-and pos t-6 mo and 2) a group of 18 men that was tested only once. Additionally, ma gnetic resonance imaging was used to assess changes in muscle morphology of the thigh in a subset of 11 members of the training group. Physical traini ng consisted of a combination of aerobic and resistance exercise in which t he subjects engaged for 5 days/wk for 24 wk. Overall, the training group ex perienced a 2.2% decrease, a 10% decrease, and a 2.2% increase for body mas s, fat mass, and soft tissue lean mass, respectively. No changes in bone mi neral content were detected. The women had less of their soft tissue lean m ass distributed in their arms than did the men, both before and after the w omen were trained, Novel to this study were the striking differences in the responses in the tissue composition of the arms (31% loss in fat mass but no change in lean mass) compared with the legs (5.5% gain in lean mass but no change in fat mass). There was a 12% fat loss in the trunk with no chang e in soft tissue lean mass. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and magnetic r esonance imaging fat mass measurements showed good agreement (r = 0.72-0.92 ); their lean mass measurements were similar as well, showing similar to 5. 5% increases in leg lean tissue. These findings show the importance of cons idering regional body composition changes, rather than whole body changes a lone when assessing the effects of a periodized physical training program.