Somatotypes in skiing

Although the available studies on body types in ski sports are relatively sparse and rather old, there are clear indications that, especially in alpine skiing, top athletes have become stronger and heavier in the last three decades [43, 24]. According to Bahr and Tone [5] as well as Mildner et al. [19], the anthropo metric profile and the somatotype, in particular the extent of muscular develop ment in the lower extremities, are to be regarded as significant intrinsic risk factors for alpine skiing trauma [20]. Especially among men, the downhill racers tend to have a more pyknomorphhyperplastic constitution type or more mesomorph somatotype with longer trunk and shorter legs and higher BMI, while the slalom specialists tend to more leptomorphic values with longer legs and shorter trunk

Doping stigmata as pathological clinical signs in the diagnostic field of sports anthropology

An anthropometric and therefore cost-neutral screening approach as an indicator of the abuse of anabolic steroids by bodybuilders is the fat-free mass index (FFMI). Normalized to a body size of 1.80 m, the FFMI is calculated as follows: FFMI = lean mass (in kg) / body height (in m)² + 6.1 × (1.8 – body height (in m)). Furthermore, various physical and anthropological symptoms can be summarized as evidence of anabolic steroids or growth hormone abuse as doping signs or doping stigmata. Doping stigmata are usually identifiable doping signs in the external appearance. Typical doping signs for anabolic steroids are testicular atrophy, swollen, voluminous muscles with elusive smooth contours, exophthalmus, alopecia androgenetica, steroid acne, gynecomastia, cutis verticis gyrata, striae distensae, seborrhea, hematomas, an unproportional development of the upper body compared to the rest of the body and, in females, hirsutism, hypertrichosis, mammary atrophy and masculine growth in width, extreme reduction of subcutaneous fat percentage, lowering of the voice, clitoris hypertrophy, secondary amenorrhoea and the irreversible androgenization of a female fetus during pregnancy. Doping stigmata for growth hormone are gigantism, acromegaly, macroglossia, tooth gaps, prognathism, torus supraorbitalis, visceromegaly (cardiomyopathy, splenomegaly and hepatomegaly), hairs of wire brush consistency, edema, seborrhoea, skin thickening and hypertrichosis, cutis verticis gyrata and the reduction of the percentage of fat. Typical examples of doping signs of erythropoietin are plethora and rubeosis faciei. Doping stigmata of amphetamines are, for example, tachycardia, hypertension, decongestion, tremor, mydriasis or speed pimples

Sports anthropological comparison between male martial arts fighters and the students majoring in physical education

The goal of the present study is to present the differences in the body composition of male Muay Thai fighters and the students majoring in physical education. The students majoring in physical education served as a control group.The two groups (Muay Thai fighters and the students majoring in physical education) were divided into four groups: Experienced Muay Thai fighters and less experienced Muay Thai fighters as well as experienced students majoring in physical education and less experienced students majoring in physical education. The definition for “experienced” has been used when someone was engaged in sports longer than 10 hours a week.All the measurements of this study have been taken under the standardized measurement procedure by the author of this study. The results have been statistically analyzed with the program SPSS.The study shows that the experienced Muay Thai fighters are significantly smaller (the average body height of 177. 2 cm) than the experienced students majoring in physical education (the average body height 184.1).Other data in the study which used the methods developed by Conrad, Knussmann, Parnell and Heath and Carter show that, while the experienced Muay Thai fighters are significantly smaller than the other participants, they are nonetheless better trained (more muscle tissue) than their counterparts

Uniform decrease of alpha-global field power induced by intermittent photic stimulation of healthy subjects

Nineteen-channel EEGs were recorded from the scalp surface of 30 healthy subjects (16 males and 14 females, mean age: 34 years, SD: 11.7 years) at rest and under trains of intermittent photic stimulation (IPS) at rates of 5, 10 and 20 Hz. Digitalized data were submitted to spectral analysis with fast fourier transformation providing the basis for the computation of global field power (GFP). For quantification, GFP values in the frequency ranges of 5, 10 and 20 Hz at rest were divided by the corresponding data obtained under IPS. All subjects showed a photic driving effect at each rate of stimulation. GFP data were normally distributed, whereas ratios from photic driving effect data showed no uniform behavior due to high interindividual variability. Suppression of alpha-power after IPS with 10 Hz was observed in about 70% of the volunteers. In contrast, ratios of alpha-power were unequivocal in all subjects: IPS at 20 Hz always led to a suppression of alpha-power. Dividing alpha-GFP with 20-Hz IPS by alpha-GFP at rest (R = a-GFPIPS/a-GFPrest) thus resulted in ratios lower than 1. We conclude that ratios from GFP data with 20-Hz IPS may provide a suitable paradigm for further investigations. Key words: EEG, Brain mapping, Intermittent photic stimulation, IPS, Global field power ratio

Sports anthropological comparison of physically exercising patients with Diabetes Type I and Diabetes Type II

In this study n=40 patients with diabetes (type I n=20, type II n=20; 20 males, 20 females), who were regularly practising sports, were examined anthropometrically. Anthropological basic data and computed somatotypical parameters correspond to international standards.The higher age of athletes with diabetes type II corresponds to the later onset of this form of diabetes.The registered significant anthropometrical differences between diabetes type I and diabetes type II in both genders correspond to the so-called truncal obesity in the metabolic syndrome and in diabetes type II. The remarkable results support the constitutional importance of the pyknic habitus in diabetes type II in comparison to the pure body fat percentage

Sports anthropological and somatotypical comparison between higher class male and female badminton and tennis players

The present study was to clarify whether there are sports anthropometric differences due to the different requirement profiles in tennis and badminton. 80 athletes (20 female and 20 male badminton players and 20 female and 20 male tennis players) were examined. Both badminton players and tennis players were from the second or third division. Anthropometric data and computed constitutional and somatotypical parameters in this work correspond to international standards.The male badminton (tennis) players are characterized by the triplet combination 3.4 – 3.3 – 3.4 (3.4 – 3.2 – 3.8) in the somatochart of Parnell, by the triplet combination 2.3 – 3.2 – 2.7 (2.3 – 3.2 – 3.1) in the Heath & Carter somatochart.In the present study, the women’s badminton average somatotype resulted by Parnell (Heath & Carter) of 4.1 – 3.3 – 2.8 (3.7 – 3.1 – 2.0), with the tennis ladies of 4.2 – 2.8 – 3.5 (3.5 – 2.6 – 2.9).In summary it can be said that the male and female badminton players compared with the tennis players were smaller and had shorter arms and shorter legs (but longer lower legs) and a longer torso. In addition, the body of badminton players appeared strong and robust, and the calf muscles seemed more pronounced.Tennis players possessed significantly thicker and larger humeri and feet. In the somatotypology the picture is that of the tall, ectomorphic tennis player is compared to the smaller, but more robust badminton player

Anthropometrical and sport constitutional comparison of German male soccer players and male students of sports sciences

The aim of the present study was to figure out differences between the body compositions of German soccer players and the students of sports sciences from Hessen (Germany). For this purpose 30 soccer players and40 sports students were anthropometrically examined. The collective of the students majoring in physical education had the function as a reference group. Both groups were divided into “experienced” and “less experienced” athletes. The soccer players were recruited from two different Hessian leagues, the players from the higher league were classified as “experienced” athletes and the players of the lower league were defined as “less experienced” football players. The reference group of sports students was also separated into “experienced” and “less experienced” groups. The participants who did workout for more than 10 hours a week, were categorized as “experienced” and the athletes who trained less than 10 hours a week were recorded as “less experienced”. In general the students of sports sciences were involved in different sports like ball sports, martial arts, athletics and strengths events. The measurements were taken under standardised conditions by the authors of this work and the results were analysed statistically (ANOVA). To analyse differences the skin fold measures, the Body-Mass-Index (BMI) and the AKS-Index (Lean-Body-Mass) were used. The comparison of the groups is based on the methods of German and Anglo-American schools of constitutional biology. The exact defined landmarks after Conrad, Knussmann, Parnell and Heath & Carter were used to calculate the body constitution of the different groups and athletes.The soccer players of the present study had an average body height of 178.8 cm +/– 6.0 cm and an average body weight of 71.9 kg. In comparison to the soccer players, the athletes of the reference group are taller and heavier. The average height of the students of sports sciences was 183 cm +/– 5.1 cm and they had an average weight of 80.2 kg. Nearly all the height and longitudinal dimensions of the reference group were significantly higher than in the group of soccer players. Depending on the performance level of both groups, there were no significant differences found

Sportanthropological and sports traumatological aspects of women’s soccer

The aim of the study is to improve talent search, training methodology and injury prevention in women’s soccer. It analyses to what extent there are physical differences between top female soccer players (S) and a control group of sporty females (ff = fitness females). Furthermore, it examines whether differences in injuries can be identified between individual game positions (defense, midfield, forward, goalkeeper) and/or somatotypes. For this purpose, the anthropometric measurements of 233 top female soccer players (Ø 22 years old) and 40 fitness females (Ø 25 years old) who had been doing regular strength/endurance training twice a week for 2 years were statistically recorded, evaluated and used for determination of constitutional types according to Heath and Carter, Conrad and Knussmann and the AKS index according to Tittel and Wutscherk. In addition, body fat percentage according to Siri and the body mass index (BMI) were calculated. For the sample of soccer players, the types of injuries (categories: cruciate ligament, other knee, ankle joint/foot, shoulder/torso/hip, other injuries) and injury frequency according to the game positions, somatotypes and various body mass indices were compared statistically. There were significant differences between the anthropometric measurements of pelvic circumference (S: 81.2 ± 4.3cm; ff: 95.7 ± 7.7 cm; p ≤ 0.001) and maximum femoral circumference (S: 54.1 ± 3.1 cm; ff: 51.1 ± 4.4 cm; p ≤ 0.001). In terms of kinanthropometry, there were significant differences in the somatochart according to Heath and Carter [9] (S: 4/5/2; ff: 6/5/3), in the checkerboard pattern according to Conrad [3] (S: leptomorphic/hyperplastic; ff: metromorphic/hyperplastic) and in body fat percentage (S: 18.1 ± 2.1%; F: 25.0 ± 4.3%; p ≤ 0.001). The goalkeepers differed significantly from the field players with higher heights, lengths, sizes, higher body weight and a higher proportion of other injuries (e.g. hand, arm and head injuries). In constitutional terms, they differed only slightly from the field players. These appeared homogeneous in terms of body structure and injury mechanisms

Sports anthropological and somatotypical comparison between female wrestlers and hapkidoin of different performance levels

The present study compares the anthropometry and somatotyping of 13 healthy female wrestlers (age range 15–26 years) and 30 hapkidoin (age range 20–44 years) of various performance categories.The hapkidoin of higher performance levels are 5 cm larger on average than the wrestlers and the hapkidoin of the lower class. In almost all circumferences the wrestlers achieve higher values than the Hapkidoin. For most circum ferences and skinfolds, significantly higher values in the higher weight classes are observed in the wrestlers. The BMI of all examined athletes is in the normal range. In the constitution typology after Conrad (1963), the wrestlers appear to be leptomorph-metroplastical, the hapkidoin appear to be leptomorph-hypoplastical.In the Cartesian coordinate system after Knußmann, the representatives of both martial arts disciplines are macrosom and superleptomorph, i.e. muscular, tall and slender. In the somatochart after Heath & Carter (1967), the average type of the hapkidoin is 7 – 2 – 2, that of the wrestlers is 6 – 1 – 2. These somatotypes are much stouter and less muscular than the martial arts somatotypes in the study of Gualdi-Russo et al. (1993). From this observation we can infer a considerable development potential of the examined sportswomen in our study

Sports anthropological studies of adolescent karateka and judoka in comparison

The approach of the present study was to look for differences in body development in children practicing karate or judo. 50 children between the age of 7 and 16 years were measured for this study. Parnell’s and Heath and Carter’s somatotypes were used as well as the German constitution schools of Conrad as well and Knussmann. The influence on higher muscle development through practice of these martial arts cannot be denied, although no significant differences between the martial arts were found. Only with a version of Conrad’s checkerboard pattern graph specially tailored for children, we could work out impressive differences between the sports. Differentiated according to age groups, it is noticeable that the male judoka make the most significant development from the hypoplastic area towards hyperplastic with increasing age