Anthropometric features and body composition of young athletes practicing karate at a high and medium competitive level

Abstract.   The aim of the study was to examine the anthropometricfeatures and body composition of athletes practising karate at ahigh and medium competitive level. Our study was carried out ona sample of 35 subjects practising karate and aged from 16.0 to32.5 years. This sample was divided into two groups: group 1(n=14 elite athletes) andgroup 2 (n=21 amateurathletes). Various anthropometric measurements were taken(weight, height both standing and sitting, diameters,circumferences and skinfold thickness) from which differentanthropometric indices were calculated (body mass index, Scelicand Grant indices, arm muscle circumference and area), and thesomatotype was then determined. The body composition of eachsubject was assessed using the skinfold technique and theJackson-Pollock (J-P) and Sloan-Weir (S-W) equations. The twogroups of athletes showed very similar measurements regardinganthropometric characteristics. Only the Scelix index presenteda significantly different value in the two groups (49.6±1.3 forgroup 1 vs. 51.1±1.3 for group 2; p<0.01). Group 1 showed amesomorphic-ectomorphic somatotype, while the amateur athletespresented a balanced mesomorphic type. Moreover, a lowerpercentage of fat mass was more frequent in the first group(J-P=8.1±2.4%; S-W=8.9±3.3%) than in the second one(J-P=9.8±1.6%; S-W=11.2±3.7%), although the differences betweenthe two groups were not significant. We conclude that group 1 ischaracterized by a slightly prominent vertical development ofthe skeletal frame. This could be an anthropometriccharacteristic that is best suited to meet the specificfunctional requirements of this sport. Moreover, both groups ofathletes are characterized by a low percentage of fat mass,particularly the elite group.