Importance of Anthropometric Characteristics in Athletic Performance from the Perspective of Bangladeshi National Level Athletes' Performance and Body Type

Abstract

The significant role of anthropometric characteristics in sport performance besides other factors is well known. Requirement of specific physique for good performance in specific sports has been established in different studies. The athletic performance of Bangladesh is not that much well and that might be due to different physiological or psychological or skill level aspects. A physical and physiological study was conducted to find out the reason for poor performance of the Track and Field athletes as athletic performance was more dependent on physiological demands besides skill and techniques. Body composition, somatotype and VO2max of twenty-eight national level athletes (15 male and 13 female) were studied at Bangladesh Institute of Sports (BKSP). Average height and weight of the female athletes of the present study were 157.6 cm ( 5.4) and 50.6 kg ( 4.5) respectively with an average age of 17.8 yr ( 1.6). The stature ranged between 149.0 cm and 166.2 cm whereas that of body weight was between 44.0 kg and 60.3 kg. Similarly their male counterparts possessed an average height of 171.2 cm (SD 7.5, range 157.4.cm - 181.4 cm) with an average body mass of 62.7 kg (SD 8.2, range 47.2 kg– 73.5 kg). A slightly high body fat% of 18.4 (SD 2.3, range 14.1% - 22.0%) was observed for the female athletes whereas that of their male counterparts was 7.9% (SD 1.5, range 5.7% - 11.3%). Average balanced mesomorph with less mesomorph component was observed for the female athletes (2.70.53.40.92.70.9) while that of their male counterparts was ectomorphic mesomorph with less mesomorph component (1.50.44.01.13.01.1). Normal range of body fat% was observed both in male and female athletes with slightly higher in females. An average VO2max of 45.3 ml.kg-1.min-1 (SD 6.6, range 34.1-56.1) was observed for female athletes whereas that of their male counterparts was 59.1 ml.kg-1.min-1 (SD 5.3, range 50.3- 68.4). Anthropometric characteristics in terms of Somatotype of the Bangladeshi athletes were poor compare to Olympians and other international athletes though the physiological aspects in terms of VO2max were more considerable compare to international athletes. Hence, poor performance of Bangladeshi athletics might be due to poor anthropometric characteristics which support the importance of Anthropometric characteristics in athletic performances.