Anthropometric characteristics according to the role performed by World Tour road cyclists for their team.

Certain anthropometric characteristics are required for athletes to successfully perform in elite endurance sports. The present study aims to analyse the anthropometric characteristics of professional cyclists according to their specialty. Anthropometric measurements were conducted of the body composition of 76 male professional road cyclists in line with International Society for Advancement of Kinanthropometry protocol. Fat mass did not differ (p > 0.05) between climbers, all-rounders and flat specialists, although the following anthropometric variables did differ according to the role played within the team (p < 0.05): Body mass (climbers: 63.8 ± 3.6, all-rounders: 68.8 ± 5.3, flat specialists: 74.5 ± 5.6 kg) skeletal body mass (climbers: 29.7 ± 1.6, all-rounders: 31.4 ± 1.9, flat specialists: 33.5 ± 2.4 kg); body surface area (climbers: 1.78 ± 0.07, all-rounders: 1.89 ± 0.10, flat specialists: 1.96 ± 0.1 m2); frontal area (climbers: 0.33 ± 0.01, all-rounders: 0.35 ± 0.02, flat specialists: 0.36 ± 0.02 m2). Anthropometric characteristics differ between world-class cyclists depending on their specialty. These differences could influence performance in relation to different types of road cycling competitions. The present study identified characteristics that could be used by coaches to evaluate their athletes in the context of elite or professional road cycling.HighlightsNormative reference values of a large sample of professional cyclists of the highest category are presented.Anthropometric characteristics differ between world-class cyclists depending on their specialty.Body mass, BMI, height and skeletal muscle mass are determining factors to determine the role of the cyclist.

Nutritional intake and anthropometric changes of professional road cyclists during a 4-day competition.

Appropriate nutrition through adequate dietary intake of total calories, macronutrients, and micronutrients is an essential component of optimizing the performance of all elite athletes. The aim of this study was to describe the food intake, body composition, and biochemical profile of professional cyclists during the Tour of Andalusia, a four-stage race covering a total distance of 647.6 km. Nutritional data were collected by trained investigators who weighed all of the food and fluid ingested by the cyclists. The nutritional intake of the cyclists was as follows: CHO, 12.8 ± 1.7 g/kg of body weight (BW; 62.3%); fat, 2.1 ± 0.2 g/kg BW (23.2%); proteins, 3.0 ± 0.3 g/kg BW (14.5%); total kcal was 5644.3 ± 593.1. Intake of all micronutrients, except for folate and potassium [which were 93.7% and 91.3% of Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA)] exceeded the RDA/I. Percentage of body fat and fat weight significantly decreased (P < 0.05) while weight of muscle mass remained unchanged after the Tour. Concentrations of urea, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, creatine kinase, myoglobin, and high-density lipoproteins significantly increased (P < 0.05) after the Tour. To our knowledge, this is the first study to describe both nutritional intake and the body and biochemical composition of a sample of professional road cyclists during a top-class cycling race.

[Influence of body mass index on self-esteem of children aged 12-14 years]. / Influencia del índice de masa corporal en la autoestima de niños y niñas de 12-14 años.

INTRODUCTION: During the last decades, the increase in the rate of children and adolescents that are overweight or obese is alarming and it is related with a lower social competency, and low self-esteem. METHOD: A transversal study was conducted with a representative sample of 292 students enrolled in years 8 and 9 at secondary school (13.05±0.97 years) in the city of Jaen, Spain. RESULTS: Girls wanted a thinner figure than boys (P < .001). Regarding self-esteem we observed statistically lower values in the case of girls (P < .000) as compared to their male counterparts. Regarding the BMI, students with a healthy weight have a statistically higher self-esteem score than students that are overweight and these have a slightly higher score than those that are obese. Positive correlation exists between the perceived silhouette and the desired silhouette (r=.485) and a negative correlation between the BMI and self-esteem (r=-.248). CONCLUSION: It is necessary to plan actions aimed as reinforcing and increasing self-esteem, focusing on the group of girls and the group of young adults with overweight and obesity problems.