Effect of calcium supplementation on body composition of highly trained athletes

Abstract

Ten male well trained athletes (mean ± SD; age 35.8 ± 11.3 yrs, stature 176 ± 7.1 cm, total mass 73.8 ± 9.3 kg, VO2peak 4.59 ± 0.8 l/min) not on a weight/fat loss regime (mean energy intake 9.16 ± 2.76 MJ/d) and meeting their daily calcium requirements (mean calcium intake 757 ± 102.07 mg/d) were recruited. Participants were tested using a randomised, single blind, test-retest intervention trial design. After baseline measurements (10TTC1) they were given 1000 mg/d of elemental calcium for 4 weeks and retested (10TTC2). Four out of the ten athletes were retested the following year in the same month without supplementation at baseline (10TTP1) and 4 weeks later (10TTP2) to account for changes in body composition due to training seasons. Body composition was determined using air-displacement plethysmography (Bod Pod Express, Life Measurement Inc. Concord, USA). Mean changes in body composition in both trials are presented in table 1. These changes support previous data on the positive association between calcium intake and fat loss.