Abstract

LANDAETA-JIMENEZ, Maritza; PEREZ, Betty M; ARROYO BARAHONA, Esteban  and  SALAZAR LOGGIODICE, Marinés. Crecimiento físico y corpulencia en niños y jóvenes nadadores venezolanos. Arch Venez Puer Ped [online]. 2008, vol.71, n.4, pp.131-138. ISSN 0004-0649.

Introduction: Influence of systematic training in growth and development of young athletes is still challenging questions for workers in the field. Objectives: To analyze physical growth and body composition of 178 Venezuelan swimmers (114 males, 64 females) from Miranda State, Venezuela. The aim was to depict a biological profile by age and sex, as well as to compare this group, against national reference anthropometric values. Methods: Analysis included descriptive statistics by age, sex and different stages of biological maturity status. Anthropometric procedures employed adhere to the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry guidelines. Tanner’s stages of sexual maturation: genitalia (G) in boys and breast (B) development in girls, were used to subdivide the sample into the three categories determined by Nicoletti: prepuberty (G1/B1), initial puberty (G2-G3/B2-B3) and advanced puberty (G4-G5/GM4-GM5). Comparisons were established by means of t tests and Pearson correlation. Results: Female swimmers (p<0.5) showed grater values on thigh, triceps and subscapular skinfolds, sum of skinfolds, fat area and more peripheral distribution than their male counterparts. Results showed body mass index as independent of height, but weight (r= 0.7-0.9) and sum of skinfolds (r=0.6-0.9) highlighted a positive correlation in both sexes and at all ages. Male and female swimmers were similar in height, sitting height and weight, but differences (p<0.05) were found from 16 years on, that favor male athletes; 17 cm in height; 6.9 cm sitting height and 12.2 kg for weight, as well as biacromial and biliocristal diameters, arm circumference and arm muscular area (p<0.01). Male and female swimmers showed higher values (p<0.05) compared with national reference measures in height, sitting height, weight, arm and thigh circumferences and biacromial breadth. Conclusions: Swimmers in general during growth exhibited grater values in physical development and corpulence, but less body fat compared against national references. Differences diminished at the end of growth and when maturity status is taken into account.

Keywords : Anthropometry; body weight and measures; body composition; sexual maturation; swimming.