An Anthropometric and Physical Profile of Young Swiss Alpine Skiers Between 2004 and 2011

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 108-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiane Gorski ◽  
Thomas Rosser ◽  
Hans Hoppeler ◽  
Michael Vogt
Keyword(s):  
Reference Values ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
National Level ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Anaerobic Capacity ◽  
Progressive Increase ◽  
Performance Level ◽  
Anthropometric Measures ◽  
Alpine Skiers ◽  
And Performance

Purpose:To describe the development of anthropometric and physical characteristics of young Swiss alpine skiers between 2004 and 2011, to compare them between age and performance-level groups, and to identify age- and sex-dependent reference values for the tests performed.Methods:The Swiss-Ski Power Test includes anthropometric measures and physical tests for coordination and speed, strength, anaerobic capacity, and endurance. The authors analyzed the results of 8176 tests performed by 1579 male and 1109 female alpine skiers between 2004 and 2011. Subjects ranged between regional and national level of performance and were grouped according to their competition age groups (U12, 11 y; U14, 12–13 y; U16, 14–15 y; U18, 16–17 y; U21, 18–20 y) and performance level.Results:A progressive increase in anthropometric measures and improvements in tests results with increasing age were found. For all tests, male athletes had better results than female athletes. Minor differences were observed in anthropometric characteristics between 2004 and 2011 (mostly <5%), while results of physical and coordinative tests showed significant improvements (up to more than 50% enhancement) or stability over the years. Differences between higher- and lower-level athletes were more pronounced in tests for lower-limb strength and anaerobic capacity.Conclusions:The presented profile of young Swiss alpine skiers highlights the improvements in different physical aspects along the maturation process and chronologically over a period of 7 y. Furthermore, reference values are provided for comparisons with alpine skiers or athletes from other sports.

Relative Age Effect in Young Swiss Alpine Skiers From 2004 to 2011

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 455-463 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiane Gorski ◽  
Thomas Rosser ◽  
Hans Hoppeler ◽  
Michael Vogt
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Young Male ◽  
Anthropometric Measures ◽  
Relative Age ◽  
Relative Age Effect ◽  
Junior Athletes ◽  
Physical Tests ◽  
Alpine Skiers ◽  
And Performance

Purpose:To verify whether relative age effects (RAEs) occur among young male and female Swiss Alpine skiers of different age groups and performance levels. In addition, the efficacy of normalizing performance in physical tests to height and body mass to attenuate RAEs eventually present was tested.Methods:The Swiss Ski Power Test consists of anthropometric measures and physical tests for coordination and speed, endurance, and strength and has been used since 2004 to evaluate 11- to 19-y-old Swiss competitive Alpine skiers. The authors analyzed the distribution of 6996 tests performed by 1438 male and 1031 female Alpine skiers between 2004 and 2011 according to the athletes’ respective relative age quartiles. Differences in anthropometric measures and performance in physical tests according to quartile were assessed, and the possibility of attenuating eventual RAEs on performance by normalization of results to height and body mass was tested.Results:RAEs were found among all female and male age groups, with no differences between age groups. While performance level did not affect RAE for male skiers, it influenced RAE among female skiers. RAEs also influenced results in all physical tests except upper-limb strength. Normalization of results to body mass attenuated most RAEs identified.Conclusion:Small RAEs are present among young Swiss competitive Alpine skiers and should be taken into account in training and selection settings to prevent the waste of possible future talents. When ranking junior athletes according to their performance in physical tests, normalization of results to body mass decreases the bias caused by RAEs.

scholarly journals SEX AND AGE-RELATED CHANGES IN PERFORMANCE IN THE DUATHLON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 234-238
Author(s):  
Oscar Romero-Ramos ◽  
Emilio Fernández-Rodríguez ◽  
Daniel Mayorga-Vega ◽  
Rafael Merino-Marbán ◽  
Robert Podstawski
Keyword(s):  
Female Athletes ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Performance Ratio ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Level Of Evidence ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Professional Career ◽  
Age Related ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Retrospective Comparative Study

ABSTRACT Objective Our study analyses differences in performance between sexes, and changes in performance between age groups at Olympic distance during the ITU Duathlon World Championships, held between 2005 and 2016. During this period, a total of 9,772 duathletes were analysed (6,739 men and 3,033 women). Methods Two-way analyses of variance (ANOVA) were used to examine sex- and age-related differences in performance (time, percentage of time and performance ratio) in the first running and cycling legs, the second running leg, and total race for the top 10 male and female athletes in each age group at the Duathlon World Championships. Results The age group with the highest participation, in both male and female categories, was 40-44 years, and it was found that the mean age of female finisher participants across all age groups was 23.5±12. With regards to performance, the best results for total race time and the cycling segment were achieved in the 30-34-year age group, for both male and female athletes. With regards to performance in the first and third segments (running legs), the best times were achieved in the 25-29 and 30-34 age groups, for men and women respectively. Conclusion According to the results of our study, the best results in the professional career of a duathlete are achieved at between 30 and 35 years, therefore the athlete should incorporate this factor into their training plan. Level of evidence III; Retrospective comparative study.

scholarly journals Motivation in the Athens Classic Marathon: The Role of Sex, Age, and Performance Level in Greek Recreational Marathon Runners

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (14) ◽  
pp. 2549 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pantelis T. Nikolaidis ◽  
Aïna Chalabaev ◽  
Thomas Rosemann ◽  
Beat Knechtle
Keyword(s):  
Age Groups ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Goal Achievement ◽  
Performance Level ◽  
Marathon Runners ◽  
Performance Group ◽  
Item Questionnaire ◽  
Recreational Runners ◽  
And Performance

The aim of the present study was to examine the motivation of recreational runners and its variation by sex, age, and performance level. Finishers (female: n = 32, age 40.1 ± 9.0 years old, height 162 ± 7 cm, body mass 57.7 ± 7.5 kg, race record 4:34 ± 0:39 h:min; male: n = 134, 44.2 ± 8.6 years, 176 ± 6 cm, 77.0 ± 9.3 kg, 4:02 ± 0:44 h:min) in the Athens Classic Marathon 2017 completed the Motivations of Marathoners Scales (MOMS) 56-item questionnaire. The highest scores in the MOMS were observed in the general health orientation and personal goal achievement categories, and the lowest in the recognition and competition areas. Female participants scored higher in coping, self-esteem, and goal achievement than their male counterparts (p < 0.05). The <30 age group scored higher than the 35–40 and 40–45 age groups in “competing with other runners” for male participants (p < 0.05). The average performance group outscored the slowest group in “achieving personal goals” and “competing with other runners” in female participants, whereas an effect of performance on these two themes was shown in male participants as well (p < 0.05). In summary, we partially confirmed that female and male marathon runners differ for their motivations. In addition, novel findings were the identification of age and performance level as correlates of motivations. The knowledge of these trends would be of great practical value for practitioners to optimize the motivation of their athletes.

scholarly journals Differences in morphological parameters of judo athletes of different age groups and performance level

Acta Gymnica ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 187-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milos Stefanovsky ◽  
Stanislav Kracek ◽  
Ilja Ciz ◽  
Karin Czibulova
Keyword(s):  
Age Groups ◽  
Performance Level ◽  
Morphological Parameters ◽  
Judo Athletes ◽  
And Performance

Development of new predictive equations for basal metabolic rate in Iranian healthy adults: negligible effect of sex

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Bahareh Nikooyeh ◽  
Nastaran Shariatzadeh ◽  
Ali Kalayi ◽  
Maliheh Zahedirad ◽  
Tirang R. Neyestani
Keyword(s):  
Metabolic Rate ◽  
Thyroid Function ◽  
Basal Metabolic Rate ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Thyroid Function Tests ◽  
Anthropometric Measures ◽  
Predictive Equations ◽  
Normal Thyroid Function ◽  
Asian People ◽  
Predictive Formulas

Abstract. Some studies have reported inaccuracy of predicting basal metabolic rate (BMR) by using common equations for Asian people. Thus, this study was undertaken to develop new predictive equations for the Iranian community and also to compare their accuracy with the commonly used formulas. Anthropometric measures and thyroid function were evaluated for 267 healthy subjects (18–60 y). Indirect calorimetry (InCal) was performed only for those participants with normal thyroid function tests (n = 252). Comparison of predicted RMR (both kcal/d and kcal.kg.wt−1.d−1) using current predictive formulas and measured RMR revealed that Harris-Benedict and FAO/WHO/UNU significantly over-estimated and Mifflin-St. Jeor significantly under-estimated RMR as compared to InCal measurements. In stepwise regression analysis for developing new equations, the highest r2 (=0.89) was from a model comprising sex, height and weight. However, further analyses revealed that unlike the subjects under 30 y, the association between age and the measured RMR in subjects 30 y and plus was negative (r = −0.241, p = 0.001). As a result, two separate equations were developed for these two age groups. Over 80 percent of variations were covered by the new equations. In conclusion, there were statistical significant under- and over-estimation of RMR using common predictive equations in our subjects. Using the new equations, the accuracy of the calculated RMR increased remarkably.

scholarly journals Even Pacing Is Associated with Faster Finishing Times in Ultramarathon Distance Trail Running—The “Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc” 2008–2019

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (19) ◽  
pp. 7074 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Suter ◽  
Caio Victor Sousa ◽  
Lee Hill ◽  
Volker Scheer ◽  
Pantelis Theo Nikolaidis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Linear Model ◽  
Performance Level ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Younger Age ◽  
Pacing Strategies ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Group Sex ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Trail Running ◽  
One Way Anova

In recent years, there has been an increasing number of investigations analyzing the effects of sex, performance level, and age on pacing in various running disciplines. However, little is known about the impact of those factors on pacing strategies in ultramarathon trail running. This study investigated the effects of age, sex, and performance level on pacing in the UTMB® (Ultra-trail du Mont Blanc) and aimed to verify previous findings obtained in the research on other running disciplines and other ultramarathon races. Data from the UTMB® from 2008 to 2019 for 13,829 race results (12,681 men and 1148 women) were analyzed. A general linear model (two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA)) was applied to identify a sex, age group, and interaction effect in pace average and pace variation. A univariate model (one-way ANOVA) was used to identify a sex effect for age, pace average, and pace variation for the fastest men and women. In our study, pace average and a steadier pace were positively correlated. Even pacing throughout the UTMB® correlated with faster finishing times. The average pace depended significantly on sex and age group. When considering the top five athletes in each age group, sex and age group also had significant effects on pace variation. The fastest women were older than the fastest men, and the fastest men were faster than the fastest women. Women had a higher pace variation than men. In male competitors, younger age may be advantageous for a successful finish of the UTMB®. Faster male runners seemed to be younger in ultramarathon trail running with large changes in altitude when compared to other distances and terrains.

Female Olympians’ voices: Female sports categories and International Olympic Committee Transgender guidelines

2021 ◽  
pp. 101269022110215
Author(s):  
Cathy Devine
Keyword(s):  
Female Athletes ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Policy Formulation ◽  
International Olympic Committee ◽  
Political Discourses ◽  
Fair Competition ◽  
Fair Inclusion ◽  
Female Sports ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Unanimous Agreement

The fair inclusion of female athletes at elite and Olympic levels is secured in most sports by way of female categories because of the extensively documented biological and performance-related differences between the sexes. International policy for transgender inclusion is framed by the definitive International Olympic Committee transgender guidelines in which the International Olympic Committee confirms the ‘overriding sporting objective is and remains the guarantee of fair competition’ and transwomen can be excluded from female categories if, in the interests of fairness, this is necessary and proportionate. Feminist theorists argue justice requires that women have equal moral standing in the sociocultural–political structures of society including sport. As such their voices should carry equal democratic weight. However, female elite and Olympic athletes are rarely heard in the sociocultural–political discourses of academic literature or policy formulation for transgender inclusion in female categories by the International Olympic Committee and governing bodies of sport. This empirical study investigated the views and presents the ‘voices’ of 19 female Olympians. The main findings include (1) these athletes thought both female and transgender athletes should be fairly included in elite sport, (2) unanimous agreement there is not enough scientific evidence to show no competitive advantage for transwomen, (3) unanimous agreement that the International Olympic Committee should revisit the rules and scientific evidence for transgender inclusion in female categories, and (4) the majority of athletes felt that they could not ask questions or discuss this issue without being accused of transphobia.

scholarly journals Pacing in Time-Limited Ultramarathons from 6 to 24 Hours—The Aspects of Age, Sex and Performance Level

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2705
Author(s):  
Hagen Deusch ◽  
Pantelis T. Nikolaidis ◽  
José Ramón Alvero-Cruz ◽  
Thomas Rosemann ◽  
Beat Knechtle
Keyword(s):  
Analysis Of Variance ◽  
Coefficient Of Variation ◽  
Training Programs ◽  
Performance Level ◽  
Running Speed ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Main Effects ◽  
And Training ◽  
Age And Sex

(1) Background: Compared with marathon races, pacing in time-limited ultramarathons has only been poorly discussed in the literature. The aim of the present study was to analyze the interaction of performance level, age and sex with pacing during 6 h, 12 h or 24 h time-limited ultramarathons. (2) Methods: Participants (n = 937, age 48.62 ± 11.80 years) were the finishers in 6 h (n = 40, 17 women and 23 men), 12 h (n = 232, 77 women and 155 men) and 24 h (n = 665, 166 women and 409 men) ultramarathons. The coefficient of variation (CV), calculated as SD/mean, was used to described pacing. Low scores of CV denoted a more even pacing, and vice versa. A two-way analysis of variance examined the main effects and interactions of sex and race duration on age, race speed and pacing. (3) Results: More men participated in the longer race distances than in the shorter ones and men were older and faster than women. Comparing the 6 h, 12 h and 24 h races, the finishers in the 6 h were the fastest, the finishers in the 12 h were the oldest and the finishers in the 24 h showed the most variable pacing. Furthermore, the faster running speed in the 12 h (women, r = −0.64; men, r = −0.49, p < 0.001) and the 24 h (r = −0.47 in women and men, p < 0.001) was related to less variable pacing. (4) Conclusions: These data might help runners and coaches to choose the the proper duration of a race and training programs for their athletes.

Game variables that predict success and performance level in elite men’s volleyball

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Sotirios Drikos ◽  
Karolina Barzouka ◽  
Maria-Elissavet Nikolaidou ◽  
Konstantinos Sotiropoulos
Keyword(s):  
Performance Level ◽  
And Performance
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