Body composition characteristics of senior male players in the English Premier and Football Leagues : insights from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry

Costello, Nessan and Owen, Cameron and Jenkinson, Andrew and Samuels, Ben and Barlow, Matthew and Hind, Karen and Francis, Peter and Alexander, Marina and Emmonds, Stacey and Bower, Paul and Arrieta-Aspilcueta, Albert and Johnson, Mark I and Jones, Gareth and Morton, James P and Entwistle, Ian and Jones, Ashley (2026) Body composition characteristics of senior male players in the English Premier and Football Leagues : insights from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Performance Nutrition, 2 (1): 12. ISSN 3059-2933

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Abstract

Body composition assessments in professional male football often lack sport-specific evidence, risking mismanagement of player health and performance. This study described dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-derived values by playing position, ethnicity, competition level, and seasonal timepoints. A total of 343 players (mean ± SD: age = 22.6 ± 4.6 years; stature = 182.0 ± 6.9 cm; body mass = 79.1 ± 8.6 kg) from the English Premier League (n = 76) and English Football League (n = 267) completed 939 scans over a 10-year period (2014–2024) using DXA (Lunar iDXA, GE Healthcare), with repeat measurements taken across the season. Players were sub-classified as Goalkeepers (n = 32), Central Defenders (n = 55), Wide Defenders (n = 64), Central Midfielders (n = 73), Wide Midfielders (n = 62), and Forwards (n = 57). Body composition ranges specific to position were identified for bone mass (3.5–4.2 kg), fat-free soft tissue mass (61.2–69.6 kg), fat mass (9.1–13.5 kg), and percentage body fat (11.6–15.4%). Significant differences in bone, fat-free soft tissue, and fat mass were observed between playing positions, ethnicity, and league level (p < 0.050). Across a single season, fat-free soft tissue mass increased significantly, while fat mass decreased (both: p < 0.001), indicating positive physiological adaptations from moderate body mass increases rather than performance concerns. These findings indicate that body fat values above the commonly cited < 10% threshold are regularly observed in elite male footballers, suggesting the need for more individualised targets over generic team-wide standards. Providing the largest criterion-measured dataset for professional male footballers, this study supports athlete-centred, position-specific decision-making to optimise player health and performance.