Donald R. Dengel, PhD, exercise physiology professor in the School of Kinesiology and director of the Laboratory of Integrative Human Physiology (LIHP),  is the lead author of an article, “Body composition and bone mineral density of division 1 collegiate track and field athletes, a consortium of college athlete research (C-CAR) study,” in the Journal of Clinical Densitometry.

The publication examines body composition using dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in 590 male and female NCAA Division I collegiate track and field athletes, making it the largest study of its kind. The number of athlete participants allowed researchers to analyze data by position. The study found that there were both sex- and event-specific total and regional body composition measurements differences in these collegiate athletes, which can be used by coaches and sports performance staff to determine collegiate track and field athletes’ positional suitability. Additionally, it informs more effective training and nutritional programs.