Donald R. Dengel, PhD, professor in the School of Kinesiology and director of the Laboratory of Integrative Human Physiology (LIHP), is the lead author of an article published in the International Journal Sports Medicine. The article titled “Positional differences in muscle-to-bone ratio in National Football League players” examined regional and total body muscle-to-bone ratios (MBR) using dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in 346 NFL players and 228 age-matched, healthy controls.
It was found the NFL players had greater arm MBR than controls; however both trunk and total MBR were lower in NFL players. Leg MBR was not significantly different between NFL players and controls. When NFL players were categorized by their offensive or defensive position for comparison, no difference in total MBR was observed. However, leg MBR varied greatly among NFL players by position. It is possible that regional differences in MBR in NFL players may be related to the demands of the position. Finally, the normative data provided by this study can be used by coaches and sports performance staff to determine the regional and total MBR in NFL players. Nick Evanoff, a doctoral student in the School of Kinesiology, was a co-author on this article.