Studies on physique and body shape of athletes with special reference to differences in physique among athletes of various kinds of sports

Abstract

Anthropometrical measurement were obtained on 178 male nonathletic university students and 168 male athletic university students (Swimming, Handball, Soccer, Rugby, Running, Thrower. Judo and Gymnastics) aged 18-22 years. The results obtained were as follows; The mean values of height and body weight for nonathletes were 170.2cm and 59.7kg respectively. The mean values of height and body weight for athletes except gymnastics and long distance runner were larger than those for nonathletes. Athletes showed larger mean values of girth of chest than nonathletes (86.1cm). The mean values of girth of upper arm and girth of thigh for nonathletes were 26.9cm and 50.6cm respectively. The mean values of girth of upper arm for athletes except basketball, long distance runner and jumper were considerably larger than that for nonathletes. Athletes except long distance runner, jumper and gymnastics showed larger mean values of thigh than nonathletes. The mean values of skinfold thickness for athletes except heavy weight class of judo were thinner than that for nonathletes and the percentage of body fat calculated by using the prediction formura from mean skinfold thickness, body surface area and body weight for athletes was smaller than that for nonathletes. Plotting of body weight and body fat content in standard measure against height in standard measure with family of iso-deviation line was used to compare the body composition and body shape of athletes with those of nonathletes. In this plotting, physical characteristics could be expressed as the difference (R) between the points representing the mean value of athletes on the origin, (the mean values of nonathletes) and ratio of deviation (r) from standard line representing correlation of body weight or body fat content to height for nonathletes. Plotting R against r with family of lines of the same height was proposed to differentiate physical characteristics of athletes participating in different kinds of sports and to evaluate the effect of training on physical characteristics. Plotting of girth of upper arm and girth of thigh in standard measure against girth of chest was used for the evaluation of difference in body shape of athletes. © 1977, The Japanese Society of Physical Fitness and Sports Medicine. All rights reserved. © 1977, The Japanese Society of Physical Fitness and Sports Medicine. All rights reserved.