## 4 Discussion  
This study aimed to identify the relationship between body composition and physical performance in Chilean professional basketball players, with a secondary aim of analyzing  
Figure 2: Correlation between body fat percentage and physical performance in professional basketball players. (**A**) Body fat percentage regarding muscle strength and power. (**B**) Body fat percentage regarding speed with and without ball. CMJ: countermovement jump. MIHS: maximal isometric handgrip strength. if there are differences in body composition and physical performance according to sex. The male professional BPs presented a significantly lower body fat percentage and a higher fat-free mass with significantly better performance in CMJ, throwing a ball, and MIHS dominant and non-dominant hands than female professional BPs. Our results show that male professional BPs had a lower body fat percentage than female professional BPs. Similar results to those reported in the meta-analysis conducted by [PERSON], [PERSON], [PERSON], [PERSON], [PERSON], and [PERSON] [11] reported that male basketball players had a lower body fat percentage (\(p<0.001\)) compared to female basketball players. Similarly, [PERSON] et al. [34] in semi-professional soccer players in the fourth division of Spain showed a lower body fat percentage (\(p<0.001\)) in male soccer players compared to female soccer players. In this regard, the differences in the body fat percentage in the sexes can be attributed mainly to the action of sexual steroid hormones, which drive dimorphisms from pubertal development that continue throughout life [34; 35]. Various studies have reported that the variables linked to adipose tissue are the most dimorphic [36; 37; 35]; this reflects the adaptive nature of adipose tissue in the female sex [35]. In females, the greater accumulation of fatty tissue is related to the biological needs of some stages of life (i.e., menarche, pregnancy, and lactation) [38]. In this sense, the higher body fat percentage in female professional BPs compared to male professional BPs in our study can be explained mainly by evolutionary factors and hormonal differences (i.e., higher estrogen levels) [39]. Another reported result was that male professional BPs had a higher fat-free mass than female professional BPs. Similar to that reported by [PERSON], [PERSON], [PERSON], and [PERSON] [15] in college league division I basketball players, males showed a higher fat-free mass (\(p<0.05\)) compared to females. Skeletal muscle mass represents approximately half of the fat-free mass in humans [40]. In this regard, males have greater muscle size, larger bones, and a lower body fat percentage in the extremities, unlike females with a more peripheral fat distribution [34]. Furthermore, males have greater muscle mass than females in absolute terms and concerning body mass, with an essential difference in the upper body [41]. Specifically, in our study, male professional BPs had a greater fat-free mass than female professional BPs, which can be explained by the superior production of testosterone and, on the other hand, the more significant body fat percentage associated with higher levels of estrogen in females [42]. In physical performance, it was reported in CMJ that male professional BPs had a superior jump height than female professional BPs. Similar results to those reported by [PERSON], [PERSON], [PERSON], [PERSON], and [PERSON] [16] in elite junior basketball players, the male presented a better jump height in CMJ (\(p<0.001\)) compared to the female. Similarly, in college basketball players, [PERSON], [PERSON], [PERSON], [PERSON], and [PERSON] [17], male basketball players presented a higher jump height in CMJ (\(p=0.02\)) than female basketball players. These differences can be explained by the morphological characteristics of the muscle between males and females (i.e., muscle thickness, pennation angle, and fascicle length) that favor males to generate greater muscle strength [43; 44; 45].