Personality and the body composition of athletes using the example of the Polish national youth female wrestling team
Introduction. A positive relationship is recognised in literature between strength and body weight. On that basis a division into weight categories has been introduced in many combat sports. Nutritional behaviours are influenced by a number of factors that indirectly affect body weight. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between personality and the body composition of athletes using the example of the Polish national youth female wrestling team. Material and methods. The study consisted in the performance of a personality evaluation using the NEO-FFI questionnaire and a body composition analysis using a TANITA BC-418 analyser. 15 athletes from the Polish national youth female wrestling team aged (20.26 ± 1.43 years) participated in the study. Results. The study showed a lack of relationship between personality and body composition in members of the national wrestling team. Conclusions. Research points to a relationship between nutritional behaviours and satisfying not only the physiological, but also psychological needs of the body. A thorough investigation of this mechanism and of the possibility of its application may be very helpful, especially for combat sport athletes. The ability to optimise body weight, without the necessity of ensuring its fast reduction during the pre-start period, may have a significant impact on a person’s results.