What are the 'best' methods to estimate body fat percentage in the field?

This week we dive into a recent body composition study published by Grant Tinsley’s lab. Anyone in practice and research in the sport nutrition and exercise physiology space will know how challenging effective use of body composition is when it comes to informing health and performance related outcomes … is there an optimal body composition for any non-aesthetic sport?! This paper compares various methods and body fat derivations to consider practical approaches in the field for soccer players. We discuss this and the broader utility of body fat percentages in practice. What is the ‘right’ approach?

Bongiovanni T, Lacome M, Rodriguez C, Tinsley GM. Tracking Body Composition Over a Competitive Season in Elite Soccer Players Using Laboratory- and Field-Based Assessment Methods. J Strength Cond Res. 2024 Mar 1;38(3):e104-e115. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000004662. PMID: 38416450.

And the other papers we referred to:

Kasper AM, Langan-Evans C, Hudson JF, Brownlee TE, Harper LD, Naughton RJ, Morton JP, Close GL. Come Back Skinfolds, All Is Forgiven: A Narrative Review of the Efficacy of Common Body Composition Methods in Applied Sports Practice. Nutrients. 2021 Mar 25;13(4):1075. doi: 10.3390/nu13041075. PMID: 33806245; PMCID: PMC8065383.

Mountjoy M, Ackerman KE, Bailey DM, Burke LM, Constantini N, Hackney AC, Heikura IA, Melin A, Pensgaard AM, Stellingwerff T, Sundgot-Borgen JK, Torstveit MK, Jacobsen AU, Verhagen E, Budgett R, Engebretsen L, Erdener U. 2023 International Olympic Committee's (IOC) consensus statement on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs). Br J Sports Med. 2023 Sep;57(17):1073-1097. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2023-106994. Erratum in: Br J Sports Med. 2024 Feb 7;58(3):e4. PMID: 37752011.