Editorial: Should BMI be Reported in a Paper’s Abstract?

Abstract

Body mass and height are major anthropometric characteristics used to profile athletes’ characteristics. The importance of these variables is highlighted in several scientific papers, where reporting body mass and height in both abstract and main text (methods section) of scientific papers is highly recommended by journals’ editors. A widely used index describing the relationship between body mass and height is body mass index (BMI). Although there is a consensus for reporting body mass and height of athletes in research, BMI is rarely presented. The aim of the present editorial is to provide evidence supporting the decision about whether BMI should be reported in the abstract and main text.