morphological features and body components` effect on the results

MORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES AND BODY COMPONENTS’ EFFECT ON THE
RESULTS OF MOTOR EFFICIENCY TESTS DONE BY GIRLS IN SELECTED
TOWNS IN THE REGION OF ‘ZIEMIA LUBUSKA’
Ryszard Asienkiewicz1, Artur Wandycz2
1
Katedra Wychowania Fizycznego, Uniwersytet Zielonogórski, Polska
2
Instytut Biotechnologii i Ochrony Środowiska Uniwersytet Zielonogórski, Polska
INTRODUCTION
This paper’s goal is to determine the relationships between fifteen-year-old girls’ body
components and somatic features and selected areas of their physical fitness.
Motor efficiency is closely related to organism’s biological development, especially during
the period of progressive development. Various authors (Szopa, 1985; Chrzanowska, 1997)
stress the role of body components as important morphological elements, determining actual
and potential sports achievements. Physical activeness is the key factor in healthy lifestyle, as
it reduces fat layer and promotes circulatory-respiratory endurance.
MATERIAL AND METHOD
The research was carried out by postgraduate students of physical education under the
direction of Ryszard Asienkiewicz over the academic year of 1999/2000 on a population of
280 15-year-old girls in a number of towns in the region of ‘Ziemia Lubuska’: Szprotawa,
Babimost, Kargowa, KoŜuchów, Gubin, Zielona Góra. By means of Martin’s method
(Drozdowski, 1982), somatometric measurements were made (body height and mass), which
were used to calculate (as prescribed by Malinowski & BoŜiłow 1997) body density according to Cowgill, body surface – according to Isaksson, body mass index (BMI), Rohrer’s
index, proportional fat content and lean body mass (LBM - % and kg). On the basis of the
standard deviation, a fat-content-based classification of the studied population was made.
The girls’ motor efficiency was assessed using standard tests, components of the so-called
Denisiuk’s test (1969):
- long jump from standing position, measuring lower extremities’ explosive power
(anaerobic speed efficiency),
- maximum forward bend, measuring flexibility.
The data was processed, using statistical analysis for the calculation of arithmetical means
and their completion. The correlation between the results of the motor efficiency tests and
somatic features and body components was determined using Pearson’s correlation
coefficients and linear regression equations. The calculations and graphic presentation were
made by means of ‘Excel’ calculation sheet and the ‘Statistica’ packet.
RESULTS
Table 1 shows the mean values of the somatic features, body proportion indices, body
components and motor efficiency tests’ results. As for the proportional fat content (based on
the value of standard deviation), 67.1% of the girls were found to fall within the normal
range, 16.8% had low proportional fat content, and 16.1% - high proportional fat content
(Table 2). The values of the coefficients of the correlation between somatic features, body
components and the motor efficiency are presented in Table 3. Regression relationship
between the fitness tests’ results and BMI index, proportional fat content are shown in
diagrams 1-4.
The results point to a variety of relationships between somatic features, body proportions,
body components and physical fitness. The strongest determinant of motor efficiency turned
out to be BMI, proportional fat content and LBM and then Rohrer’s index, height and body
mass (Table 3).
A significant, positive relationship was found between the lower extremities’ power and
body height (r = 0.13; p < 0.05) and LBM (r = 0.12; p < 0.05), which means that the higher
somatic parameters contribute to longer jumps.
Significant, negative relationships were found between the lower extremities’ explosive
power and BMI (r = - 0.17; p < 0.01), Rohrer’s index (r = - 0.19; p < 0.01) and proportional
proportional fat content (r = - 0.12; p < 0.05), which points to a negative effect of body mass
on the results of long-jump tests.
A significant, negative correlation occurred in the case of lean body mass and the depth of
forward bend (r = - 0.12; p < 0.05), which means that flexibility decreases with height.
Significant correlations were found in the case of flexibility and: proportional fat content
(r = 0.12; p < 0.05), BMI (r = - 0.12; p < 0.05), and body mass (r = - 0.12; p < 0.05); that is
why better test results were achieved by girls with bigger body mass, including proportional
fat content.
The results show that in the case of 15-year-old girls, characterised by normal or low
proportional fat content, there is a clear relationship between their power efficiency and
flexibility and their somatic parameters and proportional fat content.
There was a uniformly strong correlation of the motor abilities of the population of girls
and the values of their somatic parameters and basic body components. Thus, our research
confirms the earlier findings of the research on power and its relationships with structural
parameters, which suggest that better results in long jump are promoted by longitudinal
features and LBM, whereas big body mass and its proportional fat content have, in this case,
a negative effect. It has to be stressed that explosive power is a result of speed which
correlates negatively with body mass (Osiński, 1988). In the studied population of girls, there
were significant correlations of quotient indices and the results of the forward-bend test.
Comparatively, Cieśla (2002) found a positive effect of height, body mass and LBM on
fitness abilities (arm and shoulder strength, static strength, lower extremities’ explosive
power) in a population of 15-19-year-old girls the town of Kielce. The positive effect of body
height on the results in long jump was confirmed by the research carried out by śak (1991)
and Szklarska (1998) on children and youth in Kraków and in various other parts of the
country. Skład & Witkowski (1966) found that schoolchildren with high LBM share got better
results in speed running, agility and general fitness.
The material presented here confirms the variety of phenomena concerning body build and
its functions. An analysis of the correlation matrix shows that increasing body mass and
proportional fat content entails lowering functional abilities with regard to lower extremities’
explosive power, whereas an increase in morphological features is reflected in better
flexibility.
CONCLUSIONS
1. The 15-year-old girls, living in towns of the region of ‘Ziemia Lubuska’, were found to be
characterised by a significant correlation of their body mass, quotient index (BMI) and
proportional fat content and their flexibility, measured by the depth of forward bend.
2. With regard to lower extremities’ explosive power, a significant positive correlation was
found in the case of body height.
3. Negative correlation was found between lower extremities’ power and: body mass, body
proportion indices (Rohrer’s and BMI) and proportional fat content.
Tab. 1 The girls’ somatic features and indices in figures
Feature, index
M
s
Scope of variation
Body height
[cm]
162,19
6,04
145,0
-
184,0
Body mass
[kg]
51,43
7,48
34,0
-
80,0
Body surface
[m2]
1,54
0,11
1,21
-
1,90
Relative body mass BMI
19,54
2,56
14,69
-
28,58
Rohrer’s index
1,21
0,17
0,89
-
1,76
Proportional fat content
[%]
20,19
5,23
5,45
-
34,42
Total fat content
[kg]
10,76
4,32
1,85
-
27,36
Lean body mass LBM
[%]
79,81
5,23
65,58
-
94,55
Lean body mass LBM
[kg]
40,67
3,29
32,15
-
52,65
Lower extremities’ power
[cm]
152,52
29,85
50,0
-
204,0
Flexibility
[cm]
5,81
7,64
-19,0
-
33,0
Tab. 2 The girls’ fat content in figures
Fat content
N
%
Low fat content
47
16,8
Normal fat content
188
67,1
High fat content
45
16,1
Tab. 3 Pearson’s correlation coefficients in figures
Lower extremities’ power
Feature, index
[distance result
in jumping test]
Flexibility
[depth of forward bend]
Body height
0,13*
0,03
Body mass
-0,08
0,12*
Body surface
0,01
0,09
BMI
-0,17**
0,12*
Rohrer’s index
-0,19**
0,10
Fat [%]
-0,12*
0,12*
LBM [%]
0,12*
-0,12*
* - p<0,05
** - p<0,01
Distance [cm]
y = 191,004-1,970*x
r = -0,17 (p<0,01)
220
200
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
14
16
18
20
22
24
26
28
30
BMI
Fig. 1 Linear regression for the relationship between the distance result in long-jump test and
the value of BMI
Distance [cm]
y = 166,094-0,672*x
r = -0,12 (p<0,05)
220
200
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Proportional body fat [%]
Fig. 2 Linear regression for the relationship between the distance result in long-jump test and
proportional fat content
y = -1,120+0,355*x
r = 0,12 (p<0,05)
Dept h of forward bend
[cm]
40
30
20
10
0
-10
-20
-30
14
16
18
20
22
24
26
28
30
BMI
Fig. 3 Linear regression for the relationship between the depth of forward bend and the value
of BMI
y = 2,262+0,176*x
r = 0,12 (p<0,05)
Dept h of forward bend
[cm]
40
30
20
10
0
-10
-20
-30
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Proportional body fat [%]
Fig. 4 Linear regression for the relationship between the depth of forward bend and
proportional body fat content
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