Original scientific paper
Body Size Changes in Elite Junior Rowers: 1997 to 2007
Marija Rakovac
Tomislav Smoljanović
Ivan Bojanić
Jo A. Hannafin
Darko Hren
Peter Thomas
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine whether elite international junior rowers in 2007 were heavier and taller than
those evaluated in 1997, and to compare this change among finalists and non-finalists, and sweep rowers and scullers.
Body weight and height data obtained by a questionnaire from a total of 398 rowers (42% female, 58% male) at the Junior
World Rowing Championships in Beijing, People’s Republic of China, in 2007 (65.9% of all competitors), were compared
with data from 603 rowers measured at the Junior World Rowing Championships in Hazewinkel, Belgium in
1997 (36.5% female, 63.5% male, representing 90% and 89% of all competitors, respectively, by gender). Male and female
rowers in 2007 were significantly taller compared to those in 1997 (1.0 cm, p=0.009 and 2.1 cm, p<0.001, respectively;
one-sample t-test). No statistically significant difference was found for body mass. The finalists and sweep rowers were
taller and heavier compared to nonfinalists and scullers at both Championships respectively. The heights of elite level junior
rowers increased significantly over the decade. The finalists at World Junior Rowing Championships were again
taller and heavier compared to the nonfinalists.
Keywords
anthropometry; body size; secular trend; sports; juniors; elite rowers
Hrčak ID:
64759
URI
Publication date:
7.3.2011.
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