Body Composition: A Necessary Tool in Individuals With Disabilities?

Abstract

The 2016 Summer Olympics, also known as the Games of the 31st Olympiad concluded last month with the 2016 Paralympics set to begin in early September. Advancements in training techniques, clothing and footwear continue to contribute to the establishment of new records at the Summer Olympics. Likewise, advancements have been made for Paralympic athletes in both prosthetics- and wheelchairs. However, a key factor in the performance of all athletes is body composition, but the development of accurate field methods for measuring body composition for disabled athletes lags behind comparable measures for able-bodied athletes.