studies of various athlete groups have determined
that weight and body composition change throughout training and over the competitive season
(6,8–10,14,16,18), but these changes are not consistent among sports or athletes. Collegiate distance runners (6) and English Super League soccer players (10) showed losses in lean mass and increases in fat mass from preto postseason. Current data also suggest that the tendency to increase body mass among linemen in American football has been accompanied by a significant increase in the percentage of body fat over the past 2 decades (14)