Anthropometric criteria, somatotype and functional performance of basketball players at diff erent stages of sports training

Objective: to identify the correlation between physical development, somatic physique type, biological maturation and playing positions in basketball. Materials and methods: 112 male basketball players were divided into two groups: group 1 included 75 9-10 year-old young basketball players at the initial training; group 2 included 37 23-31 year-old professional basketball players. We evaluated the age, body mass, body mass index (BMI), body fat, body height, arm span, relaxed and flexed arm girth, calf girth, and skinfold thickness (triceps, biceps, iliac, abdominal). Results: the young basketball players demonstrated signifi cantly lower values of body height, arm span, body mass, body fat, relaxed and flexed arm girth, and calf girth. Both young and professional basketball players had macrosomatic physique type. Group 2 adult professional guards and forwards had signifi cant diff erences in body height. Adult centers had the largest arm span; on the other hand, the arm span of the adult guards was the smallest. The centers and forwards had principally macrosomatic physique type while the adult guards had mesosomatic physique type. Conclusions: the adult professional basketball players varied in their antropometric parameters according to playing positions but there was no difference between young basketball players; the body mass, body height, and arm span were the most important parameters. Centers should be of macrosomatic physique type, and had arm span more than forwards and guards. Therefore, the data of physical growth level, somatic physique type, and biological maturation rate should be considered in basketball player selection.

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