Anthropometric characteristics and 20-m sprint times among Malaysian University athletes

Abstract

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the anthropometric characteristics of the Malaysian University level athletes and to explore potential relationships between the anthropometric measures and 20-m linear sprint performance. Method: Forty male Malaysian University level athletes associated with Malaysian Universities and regularly competing in state level competitions took part in the study. Anthropometric measurements were performed for body mass, stature, 8 skinfold sites, 3 girths, and 2 breadths. Somatotype, body fat % and sum of skinfolds were calculated. A 20-m linear sprint test was performed to assess acceleration and running speed. Results: The pairwise comparison analysis revealed that throwers had significant differences in endomorphy with athletes competing in sprinting, karate, and middle distance (p ˂ 0.05), in mesomorphy with athletes competing in long distance, middle distance, sprinters, footballers and karate (p ˂ 0.05), and in ectomorphy with athletes competing in middle distance and karate. The Pearson correlation coefficient between Body Fat Percent and Sprint Time was found to be 0.374 (p = 0.025, two-tailed), indicating a statistically significant positive correlation between the two variables. Conclusion: Physique is highly correlated with the physical characteristics and the development of the athletic functions required in each sport and is a determinant of success. Body fat percentage influences the ability of an individual to accelerate and run maximally.

Kinanthropometry and Anatomical Body Composition of Elite Soccer Players in Argentina: The FUTREF Project

“…While skinfolds and percentage body fat serve as useful indicators of adiposity, quantifying muscle mass is particularly intriguing, as it is this tissue that drives movement in sports (Campa et al, 2021). Utilizing anatomical fractionation models to assess body composition can provide insights into adipose and muscle mass, as well as skeletal and residual masses (organs and viscera) (Campa et al, 2021;Wong et al, 2023). Therefore, our objective is to present position-specific detailed anthropometric and body fractionation data for a large cohort of elite soccer players using standardized measuring techniques.…”