Relationships between digit ratio (2D:4D) and basketball performance in Australian men

Abstract

This study indicated that the 2D:4D can discriminate between basketballers competing at different standards, but not between basketballers within a single competitive standard using objective game-related statistics.

Relationships between the digit ratio (2D:4D) and game‐related statistics in professional and semi‐professional male basketball players

“…2D:4D has consistently been shown to be a negative correlate of sports performance, athletic performance and physical fitness; individuals with low 2D:4Ds are more likely to perform better than individuals with high 2D:4Ds (Dyer, Short, Short, Manning & Tomkinson, ; Frick, Hull, Manning & Tomkinson, ; Hönekopp & Schuster, ; Hull, Schranz, Manning & Tomkinson, ; Manning & Taylor, ; Tomkinson & Tomkinson, ). This relationship was first demonstrated in English professional football (soccer) players by Manning and Taylor () and subsequently across a range of sports including (but not limited to) American football (gridiron) (Schorer, Rienhoff, Westphal & Baker, ), basketball (Dyer et al, ; Frick et al, ), cross‐country running (Manning, Morris & Caswell, ), fencing (Voracek, Reimer & Dressler, ), handball (Baker et al, ), kabaddi (an Indian contact sport) (Sudhakar, Majumdar, Umesh & Panda, ), rowing (Hull et al, ), rugby (Bennett, Manning, Cook & Kilduff, ), sprinting (Manning & Hill, ), slalom skiing (Manning, ), sumo wrestling (Tamiya, Lee & Ohtake, ), surfing (Kilduff, Cook & Manning, ), swimming (Perciavalle, Corrado, Scuto, Perciavalle, & Coco, ), tennis (Hsu et al, ), and volleyball (Panda, Majumdar, Umesh & Sudhakar, ).…”

“…Closed‐skill sports require athletes to initiate the action and perform in stable, predictable, and self‐paced environments (eg, golf, running, swimming), whereas open‐skill sports require athletes to react to a stimulus and perform in unstable, unpredictable, and externally paced environments (eg, basketball, hockey, football) (Wang et al, ). Three studies have examined the relationship between 2D:4D and basketball performance (Dyer et al, ; Frick et al, ; Tester & Campbell, ). Tester and Campbell () reported a moderate negative relationship between 2D:4D and the highest competitive standard attained in 155 university students who played basketball, football, and rugby.…”

“…Unfortunately, the authors did not report a separate correlation for basketball players. Frick et al () reported differences in mean 2D:4Ds between male basketball players competing at four different competitive standards (club, state, national, and international), with players who attained a higher standard of play tending to have lower 2D:4Ds. They also reported that the 2D:4D was not meaningfully related to game‐related statistics in professional players.…”

“…More recently, Dyer et al () observed that semi‐professional female players with low 2D:4D had better game‐related statistics (specifically better defensive statistics, eg, higher rebound and block counts) and were more likely to be starting players. The aim of this study, therefore, was to expand the participant pool of Frick et al () and to re‐examine relationships between 2D:4D and game‐related statistics in both professional and semi‐professional male basketball players. The secondary aim was to quantify differences in mean 2D:4Ds between starting and reserve players.…”

The second to fourth digit ratio: a measure of hand grip strength?

“…34 The present study shows that 2D:4D of the right hand cannot differentiate between different handgrip strengths amongst women but is sensitive enough to be able to differentiate handgrip strengths of men from women. It can also differentiate between different strengths in men for both the hands and between different strengths in the left hand for women.…”