Body Mass Index, waist circumference or sagittal abdominal diameter: Which parameter is better correlated with body fat changes in postmenopausal women after combined training protocol?

Summary Objective We aimed to verify whether exercise-induced changes in body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and sagittal abdominal diameter (SAD) are correlated with changes in body fat (BF) in postmenopausal women. Methods Seventeen postmenopausal women performed combined training three times a week, for 12 weeks. Correlations of delta (Δ) BMI, Δ WC, and Δ SAD with Δ total BF, Δ android and Δ gynoid fats were performed. Results Weight, BMI and android fat decreased over time. A tendency of reductions in gynoid fat was found (p = 0.070). Delta BMI was positively correlated with Δ total BF (r = 0.56; p  Conclusion We conclude that changes in BMI were better associated with body fat changes induced by combined training when compared to WC and SAD in postmenopausal women. The patients were part of a 12-week training study ( ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03200639).