Strength, Body Composition, and Work Capacity of Participants and Nonparticipants in Women's Intercollegiate Sports

Forty participants in women's intercollegiate sports and 40 nonparticipants volunteered for the study. Strength using the cable tension technique, and skinfold fat using the Harpenden caliper were measured. Specific gravity, percent body fat, and lean body mass were derived from the skinfold data. The Åstrand-Ryhming nomogram was used to predict maximal oxygen uptake. Results indicated that the participants were significantly taller and heavier and had greater lean body mass and more total kilograms of body fat. Thigh fat was the only skinfold measure in which a significant difference was observed, the participants having the lesser value. The participants exhibited significantly greater strength in all the measures tested, as well as higher predicted maximal oxygen uptake. Heart rates recorded during the Åstrand-Ryhming test revealed significantly lower pre-exercise and steady state values for the participants. Analysis of variance showed significant differences in pubic fat and shoulder horizontal flexion strength in the four intervarsity teams studied. Analysis of covariance indicated all strength measures significantly different in the groups of participants and nonparticipants. Covariance was computed with body weight held constant.