Differences in body composition between affected and nonaffected sides in cerebral palsy football athletes: Preliminary findings

Abstract

To verify the symmetry of body composition distribution in cerebral palsy (CP) football players with hemiparesis, was carried out a cross-sectional study with17 football-7-a-side players with CP and hemiparesis, level I according to the Gross Motion Function Classification System and as class 7 according to the International Federation of CP Football.The body composition was evaluated, on both affected and nonaffected sides, by anthropometry and bioimpedance.As a result, fat free mass weight, limb girths and limb muscular areas were significantly higher on nonaffected side. In addition, fat mass weight, limb skinfolds and lower limb fat areas were significantly lower on nonaffected side, but the arm fat area are similar on both sides.These findings suggested that physical requirements of training and competitions of 7-a-side-football allows the muscular development in the non-affected side, however, they are not enough for the muscular development in the affected side to reach a similar development to the non-affected side.