The age, height, and body mass of Olympic swimmers: A 50-year review and update

2020 ◽  
pp. 174795412097179
Author(s):  
Adam Mallett ◽  
Phillip Bellinger ◽  
Wim Derave ◽  
Mark Osborne ◽  
Clare Minahan
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Olympic Games ◽  
World Class ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
Gender Specific

A difficulty in identifying the optimal age, height, and body mass of swimmers is the heterogeneity of the athletes examined (i.e., gender, caliber), the variability in race distance and stroke, and the influence of time. Nonetheless, age, height, and body mass remains the most readily available data of all athlete characteristics, supporting their contribution to the prediction of performance. This review presents the findings of previous studies over the last 50 years and offers new insights by examining data from swimmers competing at the 1968, 1992, and 2016 Olympic Games. Our data investigates gender differences in age, before exploring gender-specific variations in the age, height, and body mass across year, distance, stroke, and caliber. We show that there are differences in swimmers competing at the 2016 compared to the 1968 and 1992 Olympic Games. Today the age of world-class swimmers is independent of gender, race distance and stroke, as well as caliber. Swimmers competing in freestyle are taller and heavier than in butterfly, while height remains associated with performance in some, but not all events in female swimmers. In 2016 the average age, height and body mass of World-class swimmers is 22.7 ± 3.6 and 23.2 ± 23.3 years, 175.1 ± 6.6 cm and 188.3 ± 6.0 cm and 63.8 ± 6.8 and 81.3 ± 7.3 kg for females and males respectively. These findings provide coaches with a new perspective on the optimal age, height, and body mass of world-class female and male swimmers.

scholarly journals Gender-specific health literacy of individuals with a migrant background: A mixed-method approach

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Aldin ◽  
D Chakraverty ◽  
A Baumeister ◽  
I Monsef ◽  
T Jakob ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Quantitative Review ◽  
Migrant Background ◽  
Qualitative Evidence ◽  
Gender And Migration ◽  
And Migration ◽  
Gender Specific ◽  
Specific Health

Abstract Background The project “Gender-specific health literacy in individuals with a migrant background (GLIM)” (German Federal Ministry of Education and Research; 01GL1723) aims to provide a comprehensive overview of international research and evidence on aspects of gender and migration related to health literacy. It encompasses primary and secondary research using a mixed-methods approach. Methods In a first step, we systematically review the available quantitative and qualitative evidence: in the first quantitative review, we meta-analyse the evidence on gender differences in health literacy of migrants. The second quantitative review assesses the effectiveness of interventions for improving health literacy in female and male migrants. The third review summarises qualitative evidence to assess factors associated with gender and migration that may play a role in the design, delivery, and effectiveness of such interventions. In a second step, we conduct primary research by performing focus group discussions (FGDs) with health care providers who regularly work with different migrant groups in order to explore their perspectives on the challenges and needs of migrants in the German health care system. Results To date, we identified 163 relevant references after screening of 17,932 references, for all reviews combined. Various health literacy interventions and measurement tools exist and require critical evaluation. The FGDs yielded hints to factors that a) influence gender differences in the health literacy of migrants (e.g. masculinity norms preventing Mediterranean men from consulting psychotherapists) or b) limit systemic health literacy (e.g. lack of translators). Conclusions Results from the FGDs can provide insights into the processes underlying the results of the reviews. However, despite increasing research, summarising the available evidence is highly challenging, as there are no universal definitions of the key concepts health literacy and migrant background. Key messages This is an interdisciplinary project, combining quantitative and qualitative evidence to provide maximum value to health policy and decision-making for the health care and health literacy of migrants. Research on gender-, and migration-specific aspects of health literacy is of great importance for the development and delivery of effective interventions for improving migrants’ health literacy.

Gender differences in alcohol metabolism: Relationship to liver volume and effect of adjusting for body mass

1998 ◽  
Vol 115 (6) ◽  
pp. 1552-1557 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Y. Kwo ◽  
Vijay A. Ramchandani ◽  
Sean O'Connor ◽  
Deborah Amann ◽  
Lucinda G. Carr ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Liver Volume ◽  
Alcohol Metabolism

Gender-Related Differences in Physical Performance among Seniors

2005 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 239-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin Musselman ◽  
Brenda Brouwer
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Physical Performance ◽  
Gait Speed ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Muscle Performance ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Balance Confidence ◽  
Limits Of Stability ◽  
Gender Specific

This study examined gender differences in balance, gait, and muscle performance in seniors and identified gender-specific factors contributing to physical performance. Forty (20 men, 20 women) healthy, community-dwelling seniors (74.5 ± 5.3 years) participated. Limits of stability, gait speed, lower limb flexor and extensor isokinetic concentric peak torques, self-reported activity level, and balance confidence were measured. No gender differences were detected in gait speed, limits of stability when normalized to height, activity level, or balance confidence (p≥ .188). Women were weaker than men (p≤ .007), even after controlling for weight and body-mass index, suggesting that other gender-related factors contribute to strength. Gender accounted for 18–46% of the variance in strength and served as a modifier of the relationship between activity level and strength in some muscle groups. The primary factors relating to gender-specific strength was activity level in men and body weight in women.

Gender differences and the role of parental education, school types and migration on the body mass index of 2930 Austrian school children

2017 ◽  
Vol 129 (21-22) ◽  
pp. 786-792 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dieter Furthner ◽  
Margit Ehrenmüller ◽  
Ariane Biebl ◽  
Roland Lanzersdorfer ◽  
Gerhard Halmerbauer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
School Children ◽  
Parental Education ◽  
The Body ◽  
Austrian School ◽  
Education School ◽  
And Migration

scholarly journals Influence of Body Mass Index and Gender on Growth Hormone (GH) Responses to GH-Releasing Hormone Plus Arginine and Insulin Tolerance Tests

2005 ◽  
Vol 90 (3) ◽  
pp. 1563-1569 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao-Dan Qu ◽  
Irene T. Gaw Gonzalo ◽  
Mohammed Y. Al Sayed ◽  
Pejman Cohan ◽  
Peter D. Christenson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Healthy Subjects ◽  
Gh Deficiency ◽  
Tolerance Test ◽  
Insulin Tolerance Test ◽  
Insulin Tolerance ◽  
Stimulation Tests ◽  
And Gender

The aim of this study is to assess whether gender and body mass index (BMI) should be considered in developing thresholds to define GH deficiency, using GH responses to GHRH + arginine (ARG) stimulation and insulin tolerance test (ITT). Thirty-nine healthy subjects (19 males, 20 females; ages 21–50 yr) underwent GHRH + ARG, and another 27 subjects (19 males, 8 females; ages 20–49 yr) underwent ITT. Peak GH response was significantly higher (P = 0.005) after GHRH + ARG than with ITT, and this difference could not be explained by age, gender, or BMI. Peak GH response was negatively correlated with BMI in both tests (GHRH + ARG, r = −0.76; and ITT, r = −0.65). Peak GH response to GHRH + ARG was higher in females than males (P = 0.004; ratio = 2.4), but it was attenuated after eliminating the influence of BMI (P = 0.13; ratio = 1.6). No significant gender differences were found in peak GH responses to ITT, which could be due to the smaller number of female subjects studied. GH response to GHRH + ARG and ITT stimulation is sensitive to BMI differences and less so to gender differences. A higher BMI is associated with a depressed GH response to both stimulation tests. BMI should therefore be considered as a factor when defining the diagnostic cut-off points in the assessment of GH deficiency, whereas whether gender should be likewise used is inconclusive from this study.

Percentile Charts for Body Mass Index of Indian Down Syndrome Children

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harvinder Kaur ◽  
Anil Kumar Bhalla ◽  
Inusha Panigrahi
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Down Syndrome ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
World Health ◽  
Growth Charts ◽  
Indian Children ◽  
Age And Gender ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Gender Specific

AbstractGrowth charts are used to detect growth impairment, overweight, and obesity among Down syndrome (DS) children belonging to different population groups. Due to nonavailability of similar information, age, and gender specific body mass index (BMI) charts for DS children of Indian origin, based on serial data, have been developed. A total of 752 boys and 373 girls diagnosed as cases of DS at <1 month to 10 years of age enrolled from the “genetic clinic” were followed up in the “growth clinic/growth laboratory” of the institute, following a mixed-longitudinal growth research design. BMI was calculated from body weight and length/height measured at 6-month-age intervals by using standardized techniques and instruments. Age and sex-specific percentile growth charts for BMI were generated for age range <1 month to 10 years by using the LMS method. DS children remained wasted (BMI <3rd percentile) up to 6 months of age; thereafter, BMI increased to exhibit close similarity with their normal Multicentre Growth Reference Study (World Health Organization 2006) and Indian Academy of Pediatrics (2015) counterparts up to 5 to 10 years, respectively. The percentage of obese DS girls (8.76%) outnumbered boys with DS (4.1%). The use of age and gender specific BMI growth charts may be made for comparative purpose, to assess nutritional status of Indian children with DS, to initiate suitable need-based intervention to improve their overall health and for timely institution of target interventions to prevent growth faltering in this vulnerable population.

Mind the Absent Gap: Gender-Specific Competitive Behavior in Nonprofessional Sports

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 215-233
Author(s):  
Anna Katharina Pikos ◽  
Alexander Straub
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Professional Sports ◽  
Competitive Behavior ◽  
Sex Composition ◽  
Unique Data ◽  
Single Sex ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Mixed Gender ◽  
Gender Specific ◽  
Opposite Gender

There is wide evidence for gender differences in competitive behavior and performance under pressure from experimental economics and single-sex professional sports. We analyze these differences in a sport with direct gender competition. Our unique data consist of over 500,000 observations from around 11,000 German ninepin bowling games of which around 15% are from mixed-gender leagues. Men perform better against women on average, but this is fully explained by differences in ability. Our results are robust to instrumenting for opposite gender using the sex composition of the opponent team. Gender differences in tight situations do not seem to play a role.

The Single’s Struggle: Discovering Involuntary Singleness in Indonesia Through Gender and Religious Perspectives

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 379-389
Author(s):  
Karel Karsten Himawan
Keyword(s):  
Religious Values ◽  
Religious Perspective ◽  
Personal Preference ◽  
Never Married ◽  
Religious Perspectives ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
Western Perspective ◽  
Ways Of Being ◽  
Gender Specific ◽  
Personal Fulfillment

Singleness emerges as a theme in studies on contemporary relationships across societies, including in Indonesia. While in most Western societies, singleness reflects an individual’s personal preference, marriage is viewed as cultural imperative in Indonesia, and being single is often held involuntarily by most never-married adults. This study outlines the reasons of why Indonesian individuals remain involuntarily single. The interviews of 40 never-married adults aged 27–52 years ( M age = 33.14; SD = 4.04) revealed that gender and religious differences regarding marriage expectation are central themes in understanding involuntary singleness. The study particularly revealed four gender-specific reasons for why individuals remained involuntarily single: obtaining a career, having an incompatible marriage expectation, having dependent family members, and having temporal perspectives of singleness. Two themes emerged regarding the religious perspective of singleness: religious interpretations about singleness and religion-related coping ways of being involuntarily single. The themes suggest that marriage is not a mere personal fulfillment as cultural and religious values determine individuals’ marriage feasibility. While offering a new perspective of involuntary singleness from non-Western perspective, the results inform strategies to cope with unwanted singleness, particularly in the marriage- and religion-preoccupied societies.

scholarly journals Competitive balance and medal distributions at the Summer Olympic Games 1992–2016: overall and gender-specific analyses

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (1-3) ◽  
pp. 45-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinming Zheng ◽  
Geoff Dickson ◽  
Taeyeon Oh ◽  
Veerle De Bosscher
Keyword(s):  
Olympic Games ◽  
Competitive Balance ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Gender Specific
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