Purposes: This study was to determine the differences of body composition among children in sports clubs. Methods: A total of ninety-five children who had been participating sports clubs over one year were recruited in this study, 31 (16 boys, 15 girls) were in control group (CG), 30 (16 boys, 14 girls) were in badminton group (BG) and 34 (18 boys, 16 girls) were in swimming group (SG). The bioelectric impedance analysis (InBody 230, Biospace Co., Ltd., Seoul Korea) was selected to measure the body composition, including body mass index (BMI), the percentage of body fat, and the percentage of body lean mass. The ratio of lean mass in left/right arm ((left arm/right arm)(superscript *)100) was calculated to investigate of lean mass in arms among children in sports clubs. Data analyses included descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA and Tukey's HSD. The statistical significance level was set at p<.05. Results: There was no significant difference among three groups in BMI. The percentage of body fat in CG (24.9±7.7%) was significantly higher than those in BG (18.4±6.3%) and SG (18.6±6.4%). The percentage of body lean mass in BG (43.4±3.2%) and SG (43.5±3.4%) were significantly higher than that in CG (39.9±4.1%). Regarding the ratio of lean mass in left/right arm, BG (90.7±6.0%) was significantly lower than those in SG (97.7±6.0%) and CG (98.0±4.7%). Conclusions: The children participating in various sports may have different development in body composition, especially the difference of lean mass between left and right arms in badminton group was greater than those in both swimming and control groups. More studies should be widely conducted to investigate the difference of body composition among different populations in the future.
Purposes: This study was to determine the differences of body composition among children in sports clubs. Methods: A total of ninety-five children who had been participating sports clubs over one year were recruited in this study, 31 (16 boys, 15 girls) were in control group (CG), 30 (16 boys, 14 girls) were in badminton group (BG) and 34 (18 boys, 16 girls) were in swimming group (SG). The bioelectric impedance analysis (InBody 230, Biospace Co., Ltd., Seoul Korea) was selected to measure the body composition, including body mass index (BMI), the percentage of body fat, and the percentage of body lean mass. The ratio of lean mass in left/right arm ((left arm/right arm)(superscript *)100) was calculated to investigate of lean mass in arms among children in sports clubs. Data analyses included descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA and Tukey's HSD. The statistical significance level was set at p<.05. Results: There was no significant difference among three groups in BMI. The percentage of body fat in CG (24.9±7.7%) was significantly higher than those in BG (18.4±6.3%) and SG (18.6±6.4%). The percentage of body lean mass in BG (43.4±3.2%) and SG (43.5±3.4%) were significantly higher than that in CG (39.9±4.1%). Regarding the ratio of lean mass in left/right arm, BG (90.7±6.0%) was significantly lower than those in SG (97.7±6.0%) and CG (98.0±4.7%). Conclusions: The children participating in various sports may have different development in body composition, especially the difference of lean mass between left and right arms in badminton group was greater than those in both swimming and control groups. More studies should be widely conducted to investigate the difference of body composition among different populations in the future.