An Allometric Modelling Approach to Identify the Optimal Body Shape Associated with, and Differences between Brazilian and Peruvian Youth Motor Performance

Abstract

Children from developed and developing countries differ in their body size and shape due to marked differences across their life history caused by social, economic and cultural differences which are also linked to their motor performance (MP). We used allometric models to identify size/shape characteristics associated with MP tests between Brazilian and Peruvian schoolchildren. A total of 4,560 subjects, 2,385 girls and 2,175 boys aged 9–15 years were studied. Height and weight were measured; biological maturation was estimated with the maturity offset technique; MP measures included the 12 minute run (12MR), handgrip strength (HG), standing long jump (SLJ) and the shuttle run speed (SR) tests; physical activity (PA) was assessed using the Baecke questionnaire. A multiplicative allometric model was adopted to adjust for body size differences across countries. Reciprocal ponderal index (RPI) was found to be the most suitable body shape indicator associated with the 12MR, SLJ, HG and SR performance. A positive maturation offset parameter was also associated with a better performance in SLJ, HG and SR tests. Sex differences were found in all motor tests. Brazilian youth showed better scores in MP than their Peruvian peers, even when controlling for their body size differences The current study identified the key body size associated with four body mass-dependent MP tests. Biological maturation and PA were associated with strength and motor performance. Sex differences were found in all motor tests, as well as across countries favoring Brazilian children even when accounting for their body size/shape differences.

Cross-cultural comparisons of aerobic and muscular fitness in Tanzanian and English youth: An allometric approach

“…Instead, differences were amplified, likely because the more favorable body dimensions of Tanzanians. [15, 24, 25] Prista et al[26] highlighted the importance of physical activity to the development of aerobic fitness in Mozambique youth. The superior aerobic fitness of rural children has also been attributed to a lifestyle that is more physically active than that of urban dwellers.…”

Profiles of Physical Fitness Risk Behaviours in School Adolescents from the ASSO Project: A Latent Class Analysis

“…Of interest, Silva et al recently reported an association between hand-grip strength, body mass, body height, and PA levels in youth. The authors found that performance on these measures was positively related with greater body mass (probably muscle mass) and greater height (probably reflecting greater leverage) and only partially related with PA levels [ 64 ]. Collectively, these findings can indirectly explain the lack of association found in our study between latent class 2 and low upper body maximal strength ( Table 4 ).…”

Socio‐demographic differences in Colombian children's muscular fitness: Does scaling for differences in body size present a challenge to conventional thinking?

“…The variation in children's stature associated with SES results in difficulty interpreting the between‐group differences in BMI (Monyeki et al, ; Sandercock et al, ; Silva et al, ). The model used to predict handgrip included positive exponents for both body mass and stature, as shown previously in studies of South American (Silva et al, ), European (Nevill, Tsiotra, Tsimeas, & Koutedakis, ; Tambalis, Panagiotakos, & Sidossis, ) and African (Dos Santos et al, ) youth. The importance of appropriate scaling when comparing cohorts of different body size is also highlighted in a recent cross‐cultural comparison showing higher absolute handgrip values in youth from Portugal compared with Mozambique (Dos Santos et al, ).…”

“…Understanding how best to scale measures such as muscular fitness is important for researchers and policy makers in public health, education, and the exercise sciences (Nevill, Ramsbottom, & Williams, ). Appropriate scaling helps ensure valid inferences can be made when investigating physiological differences in populations that also differ in terms of body size (Silva et al, ).…”

“…There is growing evidence that muscular fitness can aid prevention and treatment of metabolic disease independent of adiposity (Thivel, Ring‐Dimitriou, Weghuber, Frelut, & O'Malley, ). Allometric models provide valuable insight into the most appropriate body dimensions associated with children's physical performance and shape characteristics (Silva et al, ).…”