30 Seconds SummaryResearch Spotlight: Fat-free mass index in women
- Fat-free mass index (FFMI) measures muscularity by scaling fat-free mass to height.
- Historically, research primarily focused on men, but recent studies, like Harty et al, have begun exploring FFMI in female collegiate athletes.
- Study with 372 athlete participants identified the 97.5th percentile FFMI at 23.9, indicating a high muscularity level; exceptional values reached 27.2.
- Comparative study by Blue et al (2019) also found female athletes with FFMI in the low 20s and some exceeding 25.
- Previous assumptions capped drug-free males' FFMI at 25, but recent findings show that both genders could potentially have higher values, especially with varying body fat levels.
- For most female collegiate athletes involved in strength-related sports, the common FFMI ranged between 20-22, yet some exceeding even 27.
Stronger By Science
Eric Trexler
