The big leagues need to know a lot more about you than your stats. Baseball athletic tests, or BAT, include a wide variety of assessments designed to evaluate your skill and conditioning levels. According to MLB's online BAT site, baseball-specific evaluations -- as well as tests for overall athleticism and physical make-up -- are important, too. Your body fat, or body composition, is a vital statistic and can be measured in a variety of ways. The right body composition is important if you want to play pro ball, especially for fielding and baserunning. Ideal weight and body composition may have a positive affect on bat speed and batted-ball velocity as well.
Averages
The MLB BAT site lists average body fat percentages for players at various age levels and positions. High school pitchers have an average BFP of 15.8, pitchers at the NCAA Division I level have an average BFP of 14.7, and MLB players average 12.3 percent body fat. The average BFP for a catcher is 17.5 in high school, 17.0 in college and 11.5 in MLB. Infielders have average BFPs of 13.1 in high school, 13.4 in college and 9.4 in the big leagues. Outfielders need to be a little faster to cover more ground and average BFPs of 12.9 in high school, 11.0 in college and 8.4 in MLB.
Skinfold Measurement
Taking skinfold measurements is a common method for determining body fat composition. Measurements may be taken from three to nine different sites on your body., says Top End Sports. The three-site test includes your chest -- halfway between your armpit and nipple, abdominal -- a vertical inch from your belly button, and thigh. The tester pinches your skin between his thumb and index finger, deep enough to raise a double layer of skin along with the underlying fat tissue, but not muscle. Calipers placed 1cm below the pinch at a 90-degree angle are read within two seconds and recorded in mm. The tester should measure the same site twice and record the average. If there's a significant difference between the two tests, a third should be taken.
Calculation
To calculate body fat using skinfold measurements, the tester plugs the numbers into a software program for a quick result. But you also can use the following formula, in which SUM3 is the sum of all three of your averaged measurements. Bone density must be calculated first. Bone Density = 1.1093800 -- (0.0008267 x SUM3) + (0.0000016 x SUM3 squared) -- (0.0002574 x YOUR AGE]. Body Fat Percentage = [(4.95/Bone Density) - 4.5] x 100. Skinfold measurements are widely used but aren't the most accurate test available and depend on uniform and accurate measurements. This method is probably more useful if you want to compare changes in your body composition over time.
Bioelectrical Impedance
Bioelectric Impedance Analyzer, an instrument that directs small pulses of electricity into your body while measuring tissue resistance, also can be used to calculate your body fat. Electrodes may be attached to your hand and wrist, with a second pair attached to your opposite foot and ankle. Other BIAs require you to stand on two electrode plates. Because electric currents flow through muscle more easily than fat and bone, body fat can be calculated by factoring your height, weight, gender, fitness level and age along with your BIA measurement, Top End Sports says.
Hydrostatic Weighing
Body composition can be calculated by determining your body's density using the Hydrostatic Weighing technique. After your dry weight is determined, you sit on a chair attached to a weighing tank filled with water. The chair is mechanically lowered until you're completely submerged and weighed on an underwater scale. The procedure is typically repeated more than once to get a more accurate measurement. Your body composition is calculated by computer. Hydrostatic Weighing is the most widely used method of determining body composition, says Top End Sports.
Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry
DEXA tests separate your body mass into percentages of lean tissue, fat tissue and bone using X-rays. After you lie on a specialized-table scanner, apparatus mounted beneath sends X-rays through your body into a detecting source overhead. Two low-radiation levels of X-rays are sent upward and record your body's absorption rate. Radiation ratios can then be used to calculate sophisticated measurements of body fat, other tissue and bone mass. The procedure can take 10 to 20 minutes to complete but is the most accurate method of determining body fat, says Top End Sports.
Goals
Your weight and body composition aren't a result; they're a means to an end. They simply give you goals. Your coach or a sports trainer can point you in the right direction to help you improve, whether that be muscle building, lifestyle changes, aerobics or another course of action to help you achieve your optimum body composition and a higher chance of success. Shoot for an acceptable range instead of a specific number. Baseball players don't need to trim down to 3 percent to 5 percent body fat. While the range varies somewhat depending on the position, 8 percent to 13 percent body fat is generally acceptable.
References
- MLB Pitching: Baseball Athletic Test
- Top End Sports: Skinfold Calipers
- The Build Muscle and Gain Weight Fast Guide: How To Take Skinfold Measurements and Calculate Body Fat Percentage
- Top End Sports: Bioelectrical Impedance
- Top End Sports: Hydrostatic Weighing
- Top End Sports: Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry
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