Brozek two-compartment model under-estimates body fat in black female athletes

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare percentage body fat (%BF) values of black female athletes calculated using the Heymsfield four-compartment (4C), Brozek two-compartment (2C) and Schutte models. Eleven collegiate athletes underwent total body water (TBW) assessment, hydrostatic weighing (HW) and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Repeated-measures ANOVA determined that the 4C model yielded %BF values (16.2 +/- 1.5%) that were higher than the Brozek model (13.6 +/- 1.7%) but similar to the Schutte model (16.7 +/- 1.6%). The fat-free mass density of the athletes (1.109 +/- 0. 002 kg l-1) was significantly higher than the value 1.1 kg l-1 assumed by the 2C model. We conclude that in lean black female athletes, the Brozek 2C model under-estimates %BF, and that, if only HW is available, the Schutte model should be used to estimate %BF.