Medicina Sportiva (2011), vol VII, no 4, 1700 - 1705 Romanian Sports Medicine Society • Original Articles Body mass index of masters basketball players Joe Walsh 1 , Mike Climstein 2 , Ian Timothy Heazlewood 3 , Mark DeBeliso 4 , Kent Adams 5 , Stephen Burke 6 , Jyrki Kettunen 6 1 School of Exercise Science, Australian Catholic University, Sydney, Australia 2 Bond University, Faculty of Health Science and Medicine, Queensland, Australia 3 School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Faculty Education, Health and Science, Charles Darwin University, Australia 4 Department of Physical Education and Human Performance, Southern Utah University, Utah, USA 5 California State University Monterey Bay, Kinesiology Department, USA 6 Arcada University of Applied Sciences, Helsinki, Finland Abstract. Aim and Scope: Thousands of masters athletes participate quadrennially in the World Masters Games (WMG). However, this unique cohort remains under investigated. With a need for multifaceted solutions to the global obesity epidemic, investigating special populations such as those competing in sport at mature-older ages may further the understanding of the nexus between aging, physical activity and obesity. The aim of this cross-sectional comparative study was to investigate body mass index (BMI) within the WMG competitors in context with national populations and health guidelines. We hypothesized that the prevalence of obesity in the WMG cohort would be less than comparative national populations and males would demonstrate a higher level of obesity than females. Methods: A total of 408 (44.1% male, 55.9% female) WMG basketball players aged 29-77yrs (mean 52.2, SD ± 8.0) were investigated via an online survey and compared to national populations, primarily a representative sample (n=12,366, 47.5% male, 52.5% female) of the Australian population (aged 30-79yrs). Results: Analysis demonstrated a significantly (p<0.001) reduced classification of obesity in masters basketball players, compared to Australian and other national populations. As expected, male basketball players had , on average, higher BMI than females (p<0.001). Conclusions: This study indicated that one key index of health, namely obesity, was on average far lower in WMG basketball players compared to a representative sample of population controls. This finding may indicate a lower risk for many diseases such as type 2 diabetes or heart diseases in masters basketball players and the selection of a sport that induces positive health related fitness for both male and female masters athletes. Keywords: Quetelet Index, sports, exercise. Introduction In 2009, the Sydney World Masters Games (WMG) attracted 28,089 competitors across 28 sports (1).. Recognized by the International Olympic Committee, it is the largest international sporting competition in terms of participant numbers. Previous research on the WMG athletes has examined injury incidence in the lead up to the tournament (2), motivations for competition (3-4), as well as the health of North American competitors(5). Provisional analysis of BMI of athletes (6-7) has shown promising trends. Despite promising provisional research findings, this cohort of middle to older-aged adults remains Under investigated with regards to various measures of health. Regular exercise across the lifespan is beneficial for improved health and decreased prevalence of various diseases and disorders (8-10). Masters athletes may display an age-related increase to the range of pathologies present in this population as well as age-related physiological changes (9, 11, 12). These changes, may attribute to reduced physical activity, reduced metabolism and thus altered body mass index (BMI) (13). Excess body mass is associated with increased risk of conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and dyslipidemia, as well as certain cancers (14). 1700