Improvement in body composition after 12-week basic combat training: a longitudinal study among Republic of Indonesia Defense University cadets

Introduction: Body composition is essential for health, as excessive fat can lead to cardiometabolic diseases. Many factors influence body composition, including intense training such as Basic Combat Training (BCT). The nutritional status of Republic of Indonesia Defense University (RIDU) cadets as a reserve component in national defense is important to be monitored because it affects physical performance. This study assessed anthropometry and body composition among RIDU cadets after BCT. Methods: In this longitudinal study involving 111 female and 146 male RIDU cadets aged 16 to 18, body composition was measured before and after 12 weeks of BCT. Differences were analyzed using the Paired T-test. Result: The result showed that skinfold bicep, tricep, sub-scapula, supra-clavicula, skinfold thickness, and waist circumference in female and male subjects after BCT were significantly lower while weight and body mass index for age were significantly higher than before BCT. In females, skeletal muscle was higher, but BFP was lower than before. Conclusion: Overall, body composition improved after BCT, with a more beneficial impact among females. This study highlights that the same training regime benefits females more than males regarding body composition improvements. Additional training regimes should be added for males to achieve comparable results.