Sports anthropological and somatotypical investigation of female handball players of different performance classes

Abstract

The present study examines anthropometric and somatotypical differences between female handball players of the first and the second national league (n = 24, the age range 16–31 years) on the one side and female handball players of the district league (n = 24, age range 18–48 years) on the other side. Anthropometric data and computed constitutional and somatotypical parameters correspond to international standards.For the body height there is a highly significant difference in both leagues, as well as for the arm span in favor of higher performance classes. Finally, the arm length determines essential leverage ratios and throwing power and hence the performance in handball. Also for most of the rest of the height parameters the national leagues are dominating the district leagues.Within the study cohort, the goalkeepers are the largest, followed by the backcourt.The national league handball players have the expected smaller percentage of body fat and a higher lean body mass than the district players. The body weight of the female national league players surpasses the body mass of the district players by 3.6 kg. In the chess-board pattern graphic after CONRAD the players of the national leagues are more hyperplastic.The average somatotypes after PARNELL (1958) for the female handball players of the national leagues are 4-3-3 and for the district league 5-3-2. The corresponding somatotypes after HEATH and CARTER are 4.3-3.5-1.8 and 4.9-3.9-1.8.