Validation of Body Volume Acquisition by Using Elliptical Zone Method.

The elliptical zone method (E-Zone) can be used to obtain reliable body volume data including total body volume and segmental volumes with inexpensive and portable equipment. The purpose of this research was to assess the accuracy of body volume data obtained from E-Zone by comparing them with those acquired from the 3D photonic scanning method (3DPS). 17 male participants with diverse somatotypes were recruited. Each participant was scanned twice on the same day by a 3D whole-body scanner and photographed twice for the E-Zone analysis. The body volume data acquired from 3DPS was regarded as the reference against which the accuracy of the E-Zone was assessed. The relative technical error of measurement (TEM) of total body volume estimations was around 3% for E-Zone. E-Zone can estimate the segmental volumes of upper torso, lower torso, thigh, shank, upper arm and lower arm accurately (relative TEM<10%) but the accuracy for small segments including the neck, hand and foot were poor. In summary, E-Zone provides a reliable, inexpensive, portable, and simple method to obtain reasonable estimates of total body volume and to indicate segmental volume distribution.

Physiological responses to swimming while wearing a wet suit.

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of three different wet suits on the oxygen uptake (VO(2)), minute ventilation (VE). and heart rate responses to front crawl swimming. Five male subjects swam at four velocities (0.90, 1.05, 1.18 +/- 0.01, 1.31 +/- 0.02 m.sec(-1)) in each of four swimming suit conditions in a swimming flume. Conditions were completed in random order using a conventional swimming suit (SS), a wet suit that covered the full body (FULL), a wet suit that left the arms exposed (LONG), and a wet suit that left the arms and lower legs exposed (SHORT). Water temperature was 26.5 +/- 1.0 degrees C for all trials. VO(2) and V(E) were decreased (p < 0.05) while swimming in the three wet suits as compared to the SS at all four velocities. VO(2) and V(E) were also lower (p < 0.05) in the FULL as compared to the SHORT at all four velocities; however, there were no differences between the SHORT and LONG or LONG and FULL at any of the velocities. Decreases in VO(2) from SS averaged 16.2 +/- 1.9 (SHORT), 22.8 +/- 2.4 (LONG), and 33.6 +/- 2.9% (FULL) over all four velocities. Similarly, reductions in V(E) from SS averaged 14.6+/- 1.5, 19.6 +/- 1.6, 24.2 +/- 1.5%, in the SHORT, LONG, and FULL, respectively. Heart rate and rating of perceived exertion were higher (p < 0.05) in the SS as compared to the three wet suits at 1.31 m.sec(-1) only. In conclusion, oxygen uptake and minute ventilation during swimming at a given velocity were decreased when wearing a wet suit as compared to a conventional swimming suit. Further, these decreases were related to the amount of wet suit covering the body.