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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Int J Sports Med 2022; 43(07): 625-631
DOI: 10.1055/a-1717-1619
Training & Testing

Comparison between DXA and MRI for the Visceral Fat Assessment in Athletes

Hiroko Murata
1   Waseda Institute of Sports Nutrition, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, Japan
2   Department of Health and Nutrition, Jumonji University, Saitama, Japan
,
Tomoyoshi Yagi
3   Graduate school of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, Saitama, Japan
,
Taishi Midorikawa
4   College of Health and Welfare, J F Oberlin University, Tokyo, Japan
,
Suguru Torii
1   Waseda Institute of Sports Nutrition, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, Japan
5   Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, Saitama, Japan
,
Eri Takai
1   Waseda Institute of Sports Nutrition, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, Japan
6   Sports Medical Center, Japan Institute of Sports Sciences, Tokyo, Japan
,
Motoko Taguchi
1   Waseda Institute of Sports Nutrition, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, Japan
5   Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, Saitama, Japan
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Abstract

The use of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) may be invalid for assessing athletes with larger bodies, larger lean body mass, and thicker trunks. This study compared the athletes' visceral adipose tissue (VAT) assessed using DXA and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Eighty-two Japanese male collegiate athletes from 18 sports participated in this study. VAT was assessed using the dual-energy scan that coincided with the 4th lumbar vertebra. The sum of eight magnetic resonance slices corresponding to the region of the dual-energy scan was used for comparison. The VAT volume was higher with the dual-energy scan than with MRI (difference: 35 cm3, p<0.01). A significant correlation was noted between the volumes measured using both modalities (r=0.88, p<0.01). Magnetic resonance-derived volumes less than 600 cm3 showed a stronger significant correlation with dual-energy-derived volumes. However, magnetic resonance-derived VAT volumes exceeding 600 cm3 were not significantly correlated with dual-energy-derived volumes. In conclusion, VAT volumes derived from DXA were larger and significantly correlated with those derived from MRI across a wide range of values. Methods using DXA for assessing the visceral fat volume may require adjustment to estimate abdominal visceral fat volume in athletes, with care taken when using such methods for heavyweight athletes.

Key words

body composition - metabolic syndrome - heavyweight - abdominal obesity - obese


Publication History

Received: 13 May 2021

Accepted: 17 November 2021

Article published online:
02 February 2022

© 2022. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

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