scholarly journals Fitness and body composition profiling of elite junior South African rugby players

2006 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 38 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Durandt ◽  
S Du Toit ◽  
J Borresen ◽  
T Hew-Butler ◽  
H Masimla ◽  
...  

Objective. The aim of this study was to describe the body composition, strength and speed characteristics of elite junior South African rugby players. Design. Cross-sectional. Setting. Field study. Subjects. Rugby players (16 and 18 years old, N = 174) selected for the South African Rugby Union National Green Squad. Outcome measures. Body composition, 10 m and 40 m speed, agility, 1RM bench press, underhand pull-ups, push-ups, multistage shuttle run. Results. The under-16 players were on average shorter (175.6 ± 5.7 v. 179.2 ± 6.7 cm), weighed less (76.5 ± 8.2 v. 84.8 ± 8.3 kg) had less upper body absolute strength (77.1 ± 11.8 kg v. 95.3 ± 16.7 kg) and muscular endurance (41 ± 12 v. 52 ± 15 push-ups) and aerobic fitness (87.1 ± 19.4 v. 93.5 ± 15.3 shuttles) than the under-18 players. There were no differences in body fat, sprinting speed (10 m and 40 m) or agility between the two age groups. There were differences between playing positions, with the props having the most body fat, strongest upper bodies, slowest sprinting speed, least agility and lowest aerobic capacity compared with players in the other positions. Conclusion. This study provides data for elite junior rugby players and can be used to monitor the progression of players after intervention while also assisting with talent identification for the different playing positions. South African Journal of Sports Medicine Vol. 18 (2) 2006: pp. 38-45

2009 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 38 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Durandt ◽  
S Du Toit ◽  
J Borresen ◽  
T Hew-Butler ◽  
H Masimla ◽  
...  

Objective. The aim of this study was to describe the body composition, strength and speed characteristics of elite junior South African rugby players. Design. Cross-sectional. Setting. Field study. Subjects. Rugby players (16 and 18 years old, N = 174) selected for the South African Rugby Union National Green Squad. Outcome measures. Body composition, 10 m and 40 m speed, agility, 1RM bench press, underhand pull-ups, push-ups, multistage shuttle run. Results. The under-16 players were on average shorter (175.6 ± 5.7 v. 179.2 ± 6.7 cm), weighed less (76.5 ± 8.2 v. 84.8 ± 8.3 kg) had less upper body absolute strength (77.1 ± 11.8 kg v. 95.3 ± 16.7 kg) and muscular endurance (41 ± 12 v. 52 ± 15 push-ups) and aerobic fitness (87.1 ± 19.4 v. 93.5 ± 15.3 shuttles) than the under-18 players. There were no differences in body fat, sprinting speed (10 m and 40 m) or agility between the two age groups. There were differences between playing positions, with the props having the most body fat, strongest upper bodies, slowest sprinting speed, least agility and lowest aerobic capacity compared with players in the other positions. Conclusion. This study provides data for elite junior rugby players and can be used to monitor the progression of players after intervention while also assisting with talent identification for the different playing positions. South African Journal of Sports Medicine Vol. 18 (2) 2006: pp. 38-45


2002 ◽  
Vol 45 (6) ◽  
pp. 535-545
Author(s):  
A. D. Mitchell ◽  
A. Scholz ◽  
V. Pursel

Abstract. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of a cross-sectional scan as an alternative to the total body DXA scan for predicting the body composition of pigs in vivo. A total of 212 pigs (56 to 138 kg live body weight) were scanned by DXA. The DXA scans were analyzed for percentage fat and lean in the total body and in 14 cross-sections (57.6 mm wide): 5 in the front leg/thoracic region, 4 in the abdominal region, and 5 in the back leg region. Regression analysis was used to compare total body and cross-sectional DXA results and chemical analysis of total body fat, protein and water. The relation (R2) between the percentage fat in individual slices and the percentage of total body fat measured by DXA ranged from 0.78 to 0.97 and by chemical analysis from 0.71 to 0.85, respectively. The relation between the percentage of lean in the individual slices and chemical analysis for percentage of total body protein and water ranged from 0.48 to 0.60 and 0.56 to 0.76, respectively. These results indicate that total body composition of the pig can be predicted (accurately) by performing a time-saving single-pass cross-sectional scan.


2011 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 365-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Walsh ◽  
Laura Cartwright ◽  
Clare Corish ◽  
Sheila Sugrue ◽  
Ruth Wood-Martin

Purpose:This study examined the body composition, nutritional knowledge, behaviors, attitudes, and educational needs of senior schoolboy rugby players in Ireland.Methods:Participants included 203 male rugby players age 15–18 yr competing at Senior School’s Cup level in Leinster, Ireland. Estimation of body composition included measurement of height, weight, and percentage body fat (PBF; using bioelectrical impedance analysis, Tanita BC-418). Nutritional knowledge, behaviors, attitudes, and education needs were assessed by questionnaire.Results:The range of PBF was 5.1–25.3%. Sixty-eight percent of the players in this study had a healthy PBF (10–20%), 32 (22%) were classified as underweight (<10% body fat), and 9.7% (n = 14) were overweight. Assessment of nutritional knowledge demonstrated poor knowledge of the foods required for refueling, appropriate use of sports drinks, and the role of protein in muscle formation. Alcohol consumption and dietary supplement use were reported by 87.7% and 64.5%, respectively. A perception that greater body size enhances sport performance did not predict dietary supplement use. Nutritional advice had been previously sought by 121 players from coaches (66.9%), magazines (42.1%), Web sites (38.8%), peers (35.5%), family (28.1%), sport organizations (16.5%), and health professionals (8.2%). Nutritional knowledge was no better in these players, nor did better nutritional knowledge correlate with positive dietary behaviors or attitudes.Conclusions:Most players had a healthy PBF. Despite a positive attitude toward nutrition, poor nutritional knowledge and dietary practices were observed in many players. Young athletes’ nutritional knowledge and dietary practices may benefit from appropriate nutritional education.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 170
Author(s):  
Ayu Ghalda ◽  
Nazhif Gifari ◽  
Nadiyah Nadiyah

AbstractPhysical fitness is the ability of a person body to do a day work without feeling significant fatigue, that the body has a reserve of energy to overcome the excessive workload. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between hydration knowledge, hydration status, body composition, hemoglobin level with physical fitness in gymnastics athletes. This study was design a cross sectional study at GOR Raden Inten East Jakarta. Independent variables were hydration knowledge, hydration status, body composition (percent of body fat) and hemoglobin level, while the dependent variable was physical fitness. The statistical test used in this study was the spearman correlation test, because the dependent variable in this study was abnormally distributed. The results of this study were that there was no significant relationship between hydration knowledge and physical fitness (r = 0.181; p > 0.05), there was no significant relationship between hydration status and physical fitness (r = -0,440; p = 0,052), there was no relationship significant between body composition (percent of body fat) and physical fitness (r = 0,351; p > 0.05), and there was a significant relationship between hemoglobin level and physical fitness (r = 0,600; p < 0.05). The conclusion in this study, there was a significant relationship between hemoglobin level and physical fitness.Kebugaran jasmani merupakan kemampuan tubuh seseorang untuk melakukan suatu pekerjaan sehari-hari tanpa merasakan kelelahan yang cukup berarti, sehingga tubuh itu sendiri memiliki cadangan energi untuk mengatasi beban kerja yang berlebih. Tujuanpenelitian ini untuk mengetahui hubungan pengetahuan hidrasi, status hidrasi, komposisi tubuh, kadar hemoglobin dengan kebugaran pada atlet senam. Penelitian ini adalah penelitian kuantitatif dengan desain penelitian cross sectional yang dilakukan di GOR Raden Inten Jakarta Timur. Variabel independen yaitu pengetahuan hidrasi, status hidrasi, komposisi tubuh (persen lemak tubuh)dan kadar hemoglobin, sedangkan variabel dependen yaitu kebugaran.  Uji statistik yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini menggunakan uji korelasi spearman, karena variabel dependen pada penelitan berdistribusi tidak normal. Hasil dari penelitian yaitu tidak terdapat hubungan yang signifikan antara pengetahuan hidrasi dan kebugaran (r=0,181; p>0,05), tidak terdapat hubungan yang signifikan antara status hidrasi dan kebugaran (r=-0,440; p>0,05), tidak terdapat hubungan yang signifikan antara komposisi tubuh dan kebugaran (r=0,351; p>0,05) dan terdapat hubungan yang signifikan antara kadar hemoglobin dan kebugaran (r=0,600; p<0,05). Kesimpulan dalam penelitian ini yaitu terdapat hubungan yang signifikan antara kadar hemoglobin dengan kebugaran atlet.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-102
Author(s):  
Zsolt Szakály ◽  
Ferenc Ihász ◽  
Csaba Konczos ◽  
Balázs Fügedi ◽  
József Bognár

SummaryStudy aim: Over the last two decades, the body fat mass has been increasing and the level of physical fitness has been decreasing in school-aged children. Due to the health-related concerns that have arisen regarding school-aged children, the Hungarian government introduced everyday physical education in 2012. Since girls are more disposed to higher body fat and low fitness levels, the aim of our study was to characterise the physique, body composition and aerobic capacity of 10 to 14-year-old girls three years after the introduction of the new curriculum with daily PE lessons. Material and methods: All of the primary schools that were selected to participate in this study serve as partnership schools in the University of West Hungary’s teacher training programme (N = 8). The sample included only those upper primary school girls (10 to 14 years of age) who participated in the everyday physical education lesson (N = 543). Standard anthropometric techniques and a 20m shuttle run test were selected for the analysis. Results: An important result of this study was the finding that differences in the body composition features were consistently significant among the age groups. However, there were no differences among the age groups in the results of the 20 m multi-stage fitness test, nor in the girls’ relative aerobic capacity. Conclusions: It can be presumed that an unfavourable body composition and poor fitness occur primarily in the prepuberty years. Everyday physical education serves as a good opportunity for shaping the girls’ fitness level and body composition, and also for encouraging healthy active living.


2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 674-680 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federico Y. Fontana ◽  
Alessandro Colosio ◽  
Gabriela F. De Roia ◽  
Giorgio Da Lozzo ◽  
Silvia Pogliaghi

Anthropometric evaluation of athletes is necessary to optimize talent identification and player development. Objectives: To provide a specific anthropometric reference database of senior male rugby players competing at different levels in the southern European region. Design: Cross-sectional. Methods: In 362 professional players (25 ± 4 y; 138 Italian national team, 97 first-division, and 127 second-division national championships) the authors measured mass, stature, and percentage body fat (plicometry). Mean, SD, and coefficient of variation were calculated for forwards and backs and for positional subgroups. Binomial logistic regression and receiver-operating-characteristic curve were performed to assess which variables best predicted level assignment (international vs national level). Results: For all competitive levels forwards were significantly heavier and taller and had a larger percentage body fat and fat-free mass than backs. The lower the competitive level, the higher the within-role variability observed; furthermore, players in a specific positional subgroup were lighter, shorter, and fatter and had less fat-free mass. Fat-free mass is the variable that best predicts the likelihood of being classified as an international or national player (cutoff value 79.54 kg). Conclusions: The data confirm the specificity in the physical requirements of rugby in individual playing positions at all competitive levels and document significant differences among elite and 1st- and 2nd-division players in the same positional role. These differences may reflect the variable technical abilities, selection, training practices, and requirements of the game among these categories.


Author(s):  
José Ramón Alvero-Cruz ◽  
Jerónimo C. García Romero ◽  
Francisco Javier Ordonez ◽  
Denis Mongin ◽  
Lorena Correas-Gómez ◽  
...  

Master athletes are considered as a model of healthy aging because they can limit the age-related decline of physiological abilities compared to sedentary individuals. The main objective of this study is to analyze age-related changes and annual training on body composition (BC) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) parameters. The participants in this retrospective cross-sectional study were 176 male cyclists, aged 40–60 years. BC was evaluated through anthropometric measurements and CRF was determined by an incremental cycle ergometer test to exhaustion. A comparative study between age groups was carried out through a one-way ANOVA test and the associations between the variables were assessed by Spearman’s correlation coefficients and multiple regression analysis to estimate the performance. Training was generally associated with a decrease in both body weight and body fat (p < 0.05). A decrease in resting heart rate was observed as a vagal effect of kilometers cycled per year (p < 0.05). Kilometers cycled per year were associated with an increase in peak power output, which was larger in the master 40 group (p < 0.05) with a non-significant upward in VO2max (p > 0.05). In the performance prediction model, the included variables explained 52% of the variance. In summary, the changes induced by age were minimal in BC and negligible in CRF, whereas HR decreased with age. Training load was generally associated with a decrease in body weight, BMI and body fat percentage that was particularly notable in the abdominal skin folds. A decrease in HRrest was observed as a vagal effect due to kilometers cycled per year, and age did not seem to have a significant effect. The annual cycling kilometers were associated with to high PPO that is greater in the M40 group and a non-significant upward trend in VO2max.


2020 ◽  
Vol 55 (10) ◽  
pp. 1116-1123
Author(s):  
Jérome Lévesque ◽  
Hassan Rivaz ◽  
Amanda Rizk ◽  
Stephane Frenette ◽  
Mathieu Boily ◽  
...  

Context A smaller lumbar multifidus (LM) muscle was reported to be a strong predictor of lower limb injury in professional Australian Football League players. However, despite the high prevalence of low back pain (LBP) and lower limb injury in rugby players, their LM characteristics have yet to be explored. Objective To (1) examine LM characteristics in male and female university rugby players and their possible associations with LBP and lower limb injury and (2) investigate the relationship between LM characteristics and body composition in this group of athletes. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting University research center. Patients or Other Participants Thirty-four university rugby players (20 women, 14 men). Main Outcome Measure(s) Ultrasound measurements of LM cross-sectional area (CSA), thickness, and percentage change in thickness during contraction were obtained bilaterally, at the L5-S1 level, in prone and standing positions. Body composition measures were obtained using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Self-reported questionnaires were used to obtain LBP and lower limb injury history. Results Players who reported LBP in the previous 3 months showed a smaller percentage change in thickness during contraction in the standing position (F = 5.21, P = .03). The LM CSA side-to-side asymmetry (right versus left) was greater in players who reported having a lower limb injury in the previous 12 months (F = 4.98, P = .03). The LM CSA was significantly associated with body composition measurements. A greater percentage change in thickness during contraction was significantly associated with a lower percentage of body fat. The LM echo intensity was strongly associated with the total percentage of body fat and was significantly greater in women. Conclusions The influence of body composition on LM morphology in athletes cannot be ignored and warrants further investigation. Our findings also provide preliminary evidence of an association among LM morphology, LBP, and lower limb injury in university rugby players.


Author(s):  
Mututho L. N. ◽  
Kiboi W. K. ◽  
Waihenya R. N.

Background: Research has shown that body composition is directly related to health. Altered body composition, can greatly increase the risks of conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis fosters early detection of an improper balance in the body composition, which allows for earlier intervention and prevention.Methods: This was a cross sectional analysis of body composition for adults who volunteered to be screened during a Nutrition week in Kiambu County, Kenya. A total of 301 adults were included in the assessment. Body Mass Index (BMI) and Body composition (body fat %, bone mass, muscle mass, visceral fat and water %) were measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis.Results: The age of the participants ranged from 18-99 years (mean 42.19±16.57 years). Most of the participants were males (53.5%). More than half (53.2%) of the participants had a poor BMI, 37.2% had high total body fat percentage, 12.6% had excess levels of visceral fat and 26.6% had poor water hydration status. Age (OR=0.095; p value <0.001; CI 0.033-0272) and visceral fat (r=0.74; p value <0.001) were significantly associated with the BMI. Females had a significantly higher BMI (P <0.001). Visceral fat was also positively correlated with age: r=0.74; P value <0.001.Conclusions: Sex, age and BMI were important determinants of body composition. Increased physical activity, appropriate dietary practices are crucial in maintaining a healthy BMI and body composition. For timely intervention regular nutrition screening should be promoted among different populations.


2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (15) ◽  
pp. 17-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bogdan Almăjan-Guţă ◽  
Alexandra-Mihaela Rusu ◽  
Adrian Nagel ◽  
Claudiu Avram

Abstract Background: The physical exertion in the game of rugby is intense and depends on the playing position. This study hypothesized that peculiarities of body composition are important and should be properly interpreted in order to improve fitness and particularly in order to reduce the risk of injuries. Purpose: The aim of the present paper is to highlight the importance of body composition evaluation and to underline the usefulness of the data thus obtained for both training individualization and sports injuries risk reduction. Material and Methods: Thirty seven senior male rugby players from the former Romanian national team were assessed on body composition using a segmental multi-frequency bio-impedance analyzer InBody 720 (The Body Composition Analyzer – South Korea). We compared the results from both the preseason and the regular season 2012 with the international norms for elite players and we categorized the data by playing positions. Results: We have analyzed the amount of lean mass on each limb (kg), body water content (l), percentage of body fat, bone mineral and protein content (kg). We observed that the number of injuries is directly correlated to high levels of body fat percentage, low lean mass, and edema scores. Conclusions: The risk of injury can be identified among elite rugby players not only by using fitness tests, but also by using a simple and objective test of body composition. These results show how important it is to monitor the level of body fat, lean muscle mass and muscular development in order to modify nutrition and food habits, individualize trainings and thus reduce the number of injuries.


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