European Journal of Anatomy

Official Journal of The Spanish Society of Anatomy
Cover Volume 6 - Number 3
Eur J Anat, 6 (3): 153-160 (2002)

Body composition in 10 to 14-year-old handball players

Ibnziaten A., Poblador M.S., Leiva A., Gomez J.R., Viana B., Nogueras F.G., Lancho J.L.

E.C.M.F.D. Sport's Medicine Service, Department of Morphological Sciences, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain; Depto. de Ciencias Morfologicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Córdoba, Avda. Menendez Pidal s/n, 14071 Córdoba, Spain

ABSTRACT This study analyses the body composition of male school children with an age range of 10-14: players from 11 league teams. The sample corresponds to 29.32% of the total population (854) and enabled us to find highly reliable conclusions. Besides the 5 specific data, we measured eight skinfolds, six lengths, eight heights, thirteen girths or perimeters, and nine diameters. The study of body composition was done following Matiegka's method. The percentage of fat mass was estimated using the equation of Slaughter et al; muscle mass by the Drinkwater and Ross formula; bone mass by Rocha's formula and residual mass by Würch's equation. The results show that these athletes are taller, weigh more and have a larger span than the athletes of other papers. From ages 10 to 14, the percentage of fat mass decreases, and a change in the distribution of subcutaneous fat is observed.

Keywords: adolescence, adolescent, anthropometry, article, athlete, body composition, body fat, bone mass, child development, human, major clinical study, male, muscle mass, school child, sport, subcutaneous fat

European Journal of anatomy
ISSN 2340-311X (Online)