Relationship between swimmers and runners' Anthropometric and Physiological Characteristics, and their Sprint and semi-endurance performance

The aims of this research were to examine the physiological, body composition and anthropometrical indexes of swimmers and runners in adolescent teams from Kerman Shah Province in terms of their speed and semi-endurance performances. The sample chosen for the study consisted of 36 adolescent athletes from Kerman Shah Province: 18 male swimmers (age: 12.6± 2.38) and 18 male runners (age: 15.46±2.74), all participanted in team exercises as the city-selected athletes in 2006-2007. Physiological factors were measured during 3 phases, each of which with 1-minute interval by a digital manometer and with a stethoscope once. Subcutaneous adiposity on 7 sites of body (abdomen, super pelvis, axilla, sub scapula, thigh, triceps brachia); anthropometrical factors including height, weight, length of organs (arm, palm, leg, sole); organ widths (shoulder ,pelvis ,palm, sole, distance of 2 arms width); girth of organs (arm , chest , thigh , waist) were measured and recorded. After warming up, speed and endurance performance tests were taken (25/200 m freestyle swimming for swimmers; 100/800 m running for runners) whose and records were recorded. Based on the data collected, mean values of heart rate, systolic /diastolic blood pressure were estimated. Also body composition variables also were calculated within least time by using unprocessed data of subcutaneous fat and internet Exrx software (body density, percentage of body fat, weight of body fat, and lean body weight (LBW)). The SPSS software was used for descriptive statistical analyses (mean values, standard deviation, etc). Also the same software was used for inferential analyses (Pearson correlation coefficient) to address the hypotheses. Body composition, physiological and anthropometrical indexes of swimmers with speed and semi endurance performances: For body-composition factors, a significant negative correlation (r=-32%, p=-0.043%) was found between body-fat weight and record of 25m freestyle swimming. Such a correlation was also found to exist between shoulder width and record of 25 m freestyle swimming in terms of anthropometrical indexes (r=-25%, p=0.049%).but there was no significant correlation with respect to indexes measured by speed performance during 25 m freestyle swimming. There was a significant negative correlation (r= -26%, p=0.031%) between body fat weight and record of 200 m freestyle swimming, but not between indexes measured by record of 200 m freestyle swimming. Body composition, physiological and anthropometrical indexes of runners with speed and semi endurance performances: For physiological factors, a significant positive correlation (r= 0.099%, p=0.037%) was found between systolic blood pressure and record of 100 m running, while a significant negative correlation was found between record of 100 m running and body composition factors including body density (r= -12%, p=0.037%); body fat weight (r= -32%, p=0.039%); and percentage of body fat (r= -17%, p= 0.024%). For anthropometrical indexes, the correlation between record of 100m running and circumference of arm (r= -50%, p=0.046%); and of chest (r= -72%, p=0.026%) was both negative and significant. But no significant correlation was observed in terms of indexes measured by record of 800 m running.