Skinfold test Skinfold thickness is measured to estimate a player’s percentage body fat. The tester pinches the skin at the appropriate site to raise a double layer of skin and the underlying fat tissue, but not the muscle. The thickness of the skinfold is then measured with calipers. Skin fold measurements can be taken from three to nine different standard sites on the body. The sum of several sites are then used to estimate percentage body fat.
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Excess body fat affects the player's ability to move well around the field, and extra weight means the players will get fatigued more quickly. This is obviously more important for the players who have to move at speed, like the wings and fullbacks. Thus the inside and outside backs should have a skinfold thickness of less than 56mm, which translates to not more than 9% body fat. It’s desirable for the sprinters to go even lower than this, though; a recent measurement of Brent Russell’s body fat was only 6.5%!
It’s rather less important for the forwards to keep their percentage body fat low, although the norms (10% for loose forwards, 11% for hookers and 12% for props) are still fairly rigorous. Muscle bulk is always preferable to fat, and in modern professional rugby even the front row players are expected to have decent mobility.
If you’re an average fit male in your twenties, your percentage body fat should be in the 9-15% range; this is about 14-21% for women.
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