Track and Field & BIVA

The current research lines with bioimpedance involve the study of the impedance vector and, therefore, is named bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA). The BIVA approach only uses raw bioelectrical data; impedance (Z) is defined by the relationship between resistance (R) and reactance (Xc), where R plays a prominent role. R represents the opposition to current flow, while Xc is the current delay caused by cell membrane capacitance. The main derived parameter is phase angle (PhA), which is defined as the arctangent of Xc/R × 180◦/π and it typically ranges from 1° to 12° in the human body and represents cellular membrane integrity and function. An additional and recently proposed parameter that uses raw bioelectrical data to evaluate muscle mass in the sports population is the Levi Muscle Index (LMI, defined as PhA/(R/height)).
The association between whole body and segmental BIVA and sports performance still needs to be examined in many other sports disciplines. Therefore, this study aims to extend the knowledge about the relationship between raw bioelectrical data and physical performance in male and female track and field athletes. In detail, the strength and speed performance of the athletes' lower limbs will be evaluated and correlated to whole body and segmental R, Xc, PhA, and LMI values. Furthermore, whether the two sexes differ in the relationship between raw bioelectrical data and physical performance will be verified.