A Study on Anthropometric Profile of International and National level Gymnasts in India: Comparative Study of Anthropometric Profiles in International and National level Gymnasts in India

Abstract

Gymnastics is the oldest sports in Olympic. The term ‘gymnastics’ had come from the Greek word ‘gymnos’, meaning is ‘to exercise nude’, reflecting this meaning, because gymnasts in ancient Greece used to practice and competed completely in naked body . Human body is the most studied object of science (Harris et al., 2002). Scientists from the field of biological sciences use to study the human body in different points of view. Sports scientists consider human body as a machine that gives performance during various physical activities. Therefore, physique plays an important role to understand and analyze sport performance. Physical educationists, now-a-days, consider human body as the manifested from an individual’s total health in general and organic health in particular (Lacy Hastad, 2006). Keeping in view the above facts the researcher intended to work on anthropometric profile of International and National level Indian male gymnast. One hundred and twenty National and International male gymnast from all over India of 17-25 years of age were selected randomly as the subjects of the present study. International group consists of 06 and for national it was 114 subjects. To conduct the present study Age, height weight, Girths, length and breadths measurements were taken. On the basis of collected data the following conclusions were drawn-(1) Age and Height difference were found between International and National level gymnast group. (2) In Arm (Relaxed), Arm (Flexed), Forearm, Wrist, Thigh and ankle girth measurement, the International gymnasts group was better but in Calf and knee girth classification of the gymnasts there were also similar in each variable. (3)In Leg length of International gymnasts groups showed shorter than the National level group. (4) In case of Femur Breadth, the International gymnasts groups was better than other group but in arm length and sitting height as well as in the Humerus breadth measurements the gymnasts of ING and NG group were identical.