PERSPECTIVE article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutritional Epidemiology
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1657855
This article is part of the Research TopicBioimpedance Analysis: Lifelong Health, Disease, and Sport ApplicationsView all 12 articles
Pre-Season and In-Season Body Composition Assessment by Bioimpedance in Professional Football Athletes: Implications for Sports Nutrition, Physical Performance, and Hormonal Health
Provisionally accepted
- 1Nutrition and Food Technology Department, School of Agriculture, The University of Jordan, Aljubeiha, Jordan
- 2Department of Sport Sciences, Jordan Football Association, Amman, Jordan
- 3The University of Jordan, Department of Movement Sciences and Sports Training, School of Sport Sciences, amman, Jordan
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To assess and compare the dietary intake, hormonal biomarkers, and body composition of professional football players during the pre-season and in-season phases. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted on 15 professional male football players (mean age: 25.15 ± 3.78 years). Dietary intake was recorded over 7 consecutive days during each phase and analyzed using ESHA Food Processor software. Nutrient adequacy was evaluated against established sports nutrition guidelines. Physical performance (30-meter sprint, vertical jump, and Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 1), body composition (body weight, fat mass, and fat-free mass via bioimpedance), and hormonal biomarkers (GH, IGF-1, testosterone, insulin, cortisol) were also measured. Average daily energy and carbohydrate intake were higher during the inseason phase (3240 kcal and 392.0 g, respectively) compared to pre-season (2890 kcal and 349.6 g), though the differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Protein intake was significantly higher during pre-season (168.79 ± 42.03 g vs. 140.86 ± 34.86 g, p = 0.02), whereas fat intake was significantly lower (98.26 ± 23.32 g vs. 131.04 ± 42.74 g, p = 0.01). Micronutrient analysis revealed significant phase-dependent differences in intake of vitamins B1, B2, B5, choline, calcium, sodium, and zinc (p < 0.05). Only GH levels showed a significant increase inseason (0.49 ng/mL vs. 0.19 ng/mL, p = 0.03); no other hormonal markers differed significantly. Despite increased physical demands, players failed to meet recommended energy and carbohydrate targets in both pre-season and in-season phases, while protein intake exceeded recommendations. Several micronutrient imbalances were also observed.
Keywords: Bioimpedance analysis, Body Composition, Professional Football players, Seasonal variation, Sports Nutrition
Received: 01 Jul 2025; Accepted: 17 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Blasi, Abualsaud, AMAWI and Ghazzawi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Hadeel Ghazzawi, Nutrition and Food Technology Department, School of Agriculture, The University of Jordan, Aljubeiha, Jordan
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