I.A. Grets, professor, Dr.Hab.
G.N. Grets, professor, Dr.Hab.
I.M. Silovanova, associate professor, Ph.D. Smolensk state academy of physical culture, sport and tourism, Smolensk

Key words: sexual dimorphism, morphofuncitonal determinants, male and female athletes, athletic throws.

Introduction. The level of contemporary world achievements in all types of throws depends to a large extent on body build and composition characteristics. Body weight characteristics have been continuously growing in representatives of all types of athletic throws in the last 20-30 years. Nowadays a certain model of thrower is established regardless of the athlete’s gender: tall and big. However, rather small female throwers happened to achieve world class results (F. Mel’nik, R. Feuerbach, R. Funk).

It should be marked, that strongest discus throwers and putters are taller and weigh more than hammer and javelin throwers. The anthropometric characteristic of arm span is especially important for discus throwers [4]. All outstanding discus throwers have an arm span exceeding body length by 10-22 cm on the average. As stated by T.N. Press (1974), height is less important than weight and arm span for women in achievement of high results in discus throws and shot puts.

It is to be noted that in all types of throws body mass indices of record holders and prize-winners of the largest contests are almost the same indicating to stable anthropometric requirements to elite athletes. In view of significant genetic dependence of body length and arm span, they should be taken into consideration when defining throwers’ perspectives at different stages of the long-term training.

The purpose of the study was to establish the score of gender differences of morphofuncitonal characteristics of men and women specialized in discus, javelin throws and shot puts.

Materials and methods. The morphological determinants of the dimorphous characteristics of women’s sports activity were studied using the data from the application of the works [2, 3], devoted to the studies of athletes from the first string of national teams of Russia and the USSR: repeated champions of Russia, USSR, Europe and world, Olympic champions, Merited Sports Masters, international masters of sport, sports masters of the USSR aged 16-25 with 6-12 years of sports experience. The elite athletes’ body build and composition characteristics were studied in such speed and strength athletics as discus and javelin throws and shot puts.

Results and discussion. As for body build elite throwers had slight gender differences in body length (4,20 – 6,98 %), hip and calf circumference (0,97 – 3,65 and  4,07 – 6,32 % respectively); average – in chest (13,51 – 17,22 %) and shoulder circumference at rest (10,27 – 14,55 %) and forearm circumference (13,36 – 19,53 %) (Tab.)

Table. Estimation of the score of sexual dimorphism by body build and composition characteristics of elite throwers

Note: 1 – ±1 %  – lacking gender differences; 2 –  ±10 % – slight score; 3 – from ±10 up to ± 30 % – average; 4 – from ± 30 up to ±50 % – high; 5 – over 50 % –  very high.

Extremely high scores of sexual dimorphism were shown in the indices of tensed shoulder in putters (58,94 %). Herewith, these scores are average in javelin (18,39 %) and discus throwers (19,36 %).

Discus throwers had the most essential variance in the body weight indices (30,15 %). The average score is specific for the values of body weight in putters (24,36 %) and javelin throwers (28,24%).

The high score of sexual dimorphism is observed in the body build power indices: absolute skeletal muscle and skeletal weights (33,01 – 40,98 %  and 33,33 – 38,74 % respectively). The highest variability of the studied indices is specific for both men’s and women’s body composition.

The most significant variation coefficient was marked in absolute and relative adipose tissue weights (22,6 – 34,9 and  16,5 – 29,1 % for women and 30,5 – 39,6 and 27,5 – 32,4 % – for men, respectively), the least  –  in relative skeletal muscle mass (7,8 – 9,7 and 6,2 – 7,2 %), skeletal mass (8,4 – 10,0 and 9,5 – 13,3 %) and absolute skeletal mass (9,8 – 10,2 and 11,3 – 14,3 %).  Generally, women’s variability of the morphological characteristics of body composition was higher than men’s.

The values of absolute adipose tissue weight vary essentially depending on the type of throw.

The average sexual dimorphism in the quoted indices was revealed in javelin throw (17,73 %), slight – in discus throw (3,02 %) and lacking – in shot put (0,46 %).

High dimorphous differences were observed in relative adipose mass of javelin throwers (35,64 %), average – in discus and javelin throwers (25,75 and 19,67 % respectively). Insufficient dimorphous differences were marked in relative skeletal muscle and skeletal mass (6,53 – 9,68 % and 4,20 – 6,98 %)

The data received were proved by the studies [1] determining the approach of the values of muscle mass of women involved in strength sports and men’s indices along with preserved intensive gender differences in the mass component indices. The authors allocated the unidirectional change in men’s and women’s fitness indices, which is more pronounced in the latter.

 The lacking or slight gender differences in the values of fat mass and relative skeletal muscle and v of throwers testify to leveling of sexual dimorphism within these indices and approaching of men’s and women’s body build characteristics.

Conclusion. A slight score of sexual dimorphism was established by the body length, hip and calf circumference characteristics in discus and javelin throws and shot put. Average dimorphous differences were observed in chest and shoulder circumference, where men take the lead over women. The high score of gender differences was notable in the muscle and bone body mass. Shot puts and discus throws practically lack sexual dimorphism in absolute values of fat mass, due to adaptation to specific training and competitive effects, resulting in bone hypertrophy, muscle gains and skeletal enhancement.

References

1. Zamchiy, T.P. Morphological, functional and psychological characteristics of male and female athletes of strength sports in view of sexual dimorphism / T.P. Zamchiy, Yu.V. Koryagina // Lechebnaya fizkultura is portivnaya meditsina. – 2011. – № 7. – P.18–26. (In Russian)
2. Martirosov, E.G. Constitutional standards of elite athletes specialized in basic Olympic sports: abstract of doctoral thesis (Biol.) // E.G. Martirosov. – Мoscow, 1998. – P. 98. (In Russian)
3. Martirosov, E.G. Thechnologies and methods of estimation of human body composition / E.G. Martirosov, D.V. Nikolaev, S.G. Rudnev. – Мoscow: Nauka, 2006. – P.167194. (In Russian)
4. Press, T.N. Experimental approval of the method of training of young female disc throwers at the initial stage of sports specialization: abstract of Ph.D. thesis; All-union scient.-research inst. of phys. cult. / T.N. Press. – Мoscow, 1974. – 27 P. (In Russian)

Author’s contact:  grets-irina@mail.ru