ABSTRACT
This study was conducted to describe and compare various anthropometric, body composition, cardiorespiratory, metabolic and neuromuscular characteristics of 12 female athletes, members of the Puerto Rico national softball team. The subjects were divided into three categories according to their game specific requirements (game position): infielders (n = 5), outfielders (n = 4), and pitchers (n = 3). The mean and standard deviations of all the variables in each group was calculated. These athletes demonstrated high levels of body fat and below optimal levels of flexibility, cardiorespiratory endurance, and muscular strength and endurance. The results revealed deficiencies in the health related fitness components and in the physical preparation for sports competition. These results also suggest that the subjects are at risk for the development of cardiovascular diseases, sport injuries, and poor sport performance
Subject(s)
Adult , Female , Humans , Baseball/physiology , Anthropometry , Body Composition , English Abstract , Lung Volume Measurements , Muscles/physiology , Puerto Rico , SomatotypesABSTRACT
This investigation described maturation, menstrual and socio-demographic characteristics of 65 Puerto Rican women athletes that were interviewed during the XVI Central American and Caribbean Games (CACG), Mexico City in 1990. The results were compared with those of Puerto Rican women athletes (n = 52) at the XV CACG, Santiago Dominican Republic, 1986. The quantitative variables (age, age at initiation of training, years of training, age at menarche, birth order, and family size) were not statistically different (t-independent, p > or = 0.05). The observed frequencies for the qualitative variables (menstrual characteristics, degree of certainty in the recall of age of menarche, use of oral contraceptives, and marital status) were very similar. In conclusion: the women at the XVI CAC in Mexico demonstrated similar maturational, menstrual and socio-demographic characteristics to the those athletes evaluated four years earlier in Santiago and based on their long history of training, both samples were representative of athletically mature athletes. The findings were very similar to those reported for olympic athletes and such data expands the available information on Puerto Rican women athletes
Subject(s)
Adult , Female , Humans , Aging/physiology , Menarche/physiology , Menstruation/physiology , Sports , Contraceptives, Oral/administration & dosage , Dominican Republic , Family , Mexico , Puerto Rico/ethnology , Menstruation Disturbances/epidemiologyABSTRACT
This study was conducted to describe various anthropometric, body composition, cardiorespiratory, metabolic and neuromuscular characteristics of 31 athletes (F = 5, M = 26) members of the Puertorrican Cycling Federation's national pre-selection. The athletes were divided into four categories according to their sex and age. The mean and standard deviation of all the variables in each category was computed. An Analysis of Covariance was conducted to determine significant differences between the mean's of the four categories. Male cyclists showed superior results compared to female cyclists in all the variables studied except body mass, ectomorphy, VO2 max, max HR, max power (W), and neuromuscular function in which they showed no statistical differences. The anthropometric, body composition, max power (W) and cardiorespiratory characteristics of our cyclists compared with those reported for international cyclists. The groups means for push ups, sit ups and flexibility were below the excellent classification when compared to the general population's health related physical fitness norms
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Anthropometry , Bicycling/physiology , Physical Fitness , Analysis of Variance , Biomechanical Phenomena , Body Composition , Energy Metabolism , Hemodynamics , Muscles/metabolism , Neurologic Examination , Oxygen Consumption , Respiratory Function TestsABSTRACT
Los propósitos de este informe investigativo fueron: 1)revisar la literatura relacionada con los fáctores antropométricos, metabólicos, cardiorespiratórios y neuromusculares asociados con una ejecutoria sobresaliente en carreras pedestres de larga duración (CPLD). 2)como dado ilustrativo describir una serie de características antropométricas, de composición corporal, cardiorespiratorias, metabólicas, y neuromusculares de especialistas puertorriqueños en CPLD de ambos sexos (hombres n+3 y mujeres n+3), y 3) efectuar comparaciones con sus iguales de diferentes países del mundo reportados en la literatura. El grupo de sujetos consistió de ganadores de campeonatos universitarios, nacionales, internacionales, y de eventos locales en las distancias de 1500m hasta 42km. Los datos obtenidos se encontraron dentro de la magnitud demostrada por corredores de classificación élite internacional, excepto en las variables flexibilidad de la parte posterior del muslo/espalda baja y lagartijas efectuadas en un minuto, donde se detectaron notables deficiencias.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Anthropometry , Running/physiology , Body Mass Index , Body Composition/physiology , Oxygen Consumption/physiology , Bone Density/physiology , Exercise/physiology , Muscle Fibers, Skeletal/metabolism , Puerto Rico , Somatotypes/physiologyABSTRACT
El propósito de esta investigación fue determinar y describir la edad cronológica, edad de iniciación deportiva (EID), edade deportiva (ED), edad de menarquia (EM), características menstruales, uso de anticonceptivos orales, orden de nacimiento (ON), número de hermanos (NH), estado civil, número de hijos, y especialidad deportiva de las atletas puertorriqueñas que participaron en los XV Juegos Centro Americanos y del Caribe. La muestra (n=55) incluyó representantes de 9 deportes (atletismo n=6, baloncesto n=7, gimnasia n=5, nado sincronizado n=9, natación n=5, softbol n=4, tenis n=4 [tenis de campo n=2, tenis de mesa n=2], y vóleibol n=5) Los datos fueron obtenidos mediante una entrevista. El grupo demostró los siguientes valores promedio (Mñde)Ñ edad=21.0ñ5.3 años, EID=11.4ñ4.3 años, ED=9.6ñ4.4 años, EM=13.2ñ1.6 años, ON=2.87ñ1.3, y NH=3.7ñ1.9. Cinco por ciento de la población estudiada (gimnasia n=2 y natación n=1) reportó no haber alcanzado la menarquia. La prevalencia de irregularidad menstrual y dismenorrea fue 44.2 y 40.4%, respectivamente. El grupo demostró que 61.5% estaba muy seguro, 25% seguro y 13.5% poco seguro de los datos reportados con relación a su menarquia. La prevalencia del uso de anticonceptivos orales fue 7.3%. Los resultados obtenidos comparan favorablemente con aquellos demonstrados por poblaciones de atletas olímpicas
Subject(s)
Humans , Child , Adolescent , Adult , Female , Menarche/physiology , Sports , Age Factors , Menarche/ethnology , Puerto RicoABSTRACT
La ausencia de perfiles descriptivos de las características antropométricas y funcionales de nuestros gimnastas dificultan la evaluación objetiva de su forma deportiva y la prestación de servicios técnicos. Este estudio describió la composición corporal, somatotipo, madurez fisiológca, flexibilidad y tolerancia cardiorespiratoria de 30 atletas (femenino; n+ 12 y masculino; n=18) miembros de la pre-selección nacional puertorriqueña de gimnasia artística y presentó comparaciones con grupos de gimnstas reportados en la literatura. Los resultados indicaron diferencias entre los sexos en las variables: peso, suma de panículos, grasa corporal, masa corporal activa, endomorfia, mesomorfia, ISA, AMB, CMB, flexibilidad y VO2 max (L-min-1), (p < 0.5). Los resultados se encuentran dentro de la amplitud demostrada por gimnastas de alto rendimiento reportados en la literatura