runrunrunasfastasyoucan wrote:
Hi, I'm a college female runner and had a question about body composition, etc. I got my body fat tested at the doctor, and it's right around 14% BF. I'm 5'10" and weigh 130 pounds.
What is the typical body fat percentage of an elite college runner? Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get body fat percentage down without sacrificing quality of my training or risking injury?
Much appreciated, thanks in advance.
Alrighty, so I found a study of female national championship and international-class runners:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/240082688_Elite-Level_Female_Distance_Runners_Experience_Few_Changes_in_Body_Composition_Weight_and_Bone_Density_Over_a_5Year_Period_1694Average body fat % was 13.4 with a SD of 3.08 (tested using a DEXA scan). So yes, you are as lean as national-class female runners. Your BMI is fairly low, though, so trying to lose weight is probably a bad idea. Remaining healthy is the most important determinant of performance and improvement, so if you still feel like you want to lose weight, know that consciously dieting, or training with the intent of losing weight is probably not a good idea. Body fat is not always an indicator of running fitness or hard training. With that said, I'd suggest weight training if you don't already, as it will not only help build fitness, but will most likely lower your body fat % overall by increasing muscle mass. But like I said, body fat shouldn't be the focus here. Performance is the metric to follow most of all. If that drops, then maybe look deeper.