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Abstract To determine whether Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) gymnasts competing at the regional level differ significantly from nonathletes (NA) on body composition and somatotype and to determine whether meet placers (P) differ from nonplacers (NP) on the same measurements, anthropometric somatotype and percent fat from skinfold measurements were determined in 71 gymnasts (14 P and 57 NP) at the 1974 AIAW Region VI Championships. The same measurements were made on a reference group of 54 NA. The gymnasts were shorter and lighter in weight with less body fat than the NA. Percent body fat differences (NA = 21.45%; NP = 18.41%; P = 16.82%) were significant (p = .05) among all three groups. Since the two gymnast groups were almost identical in height and weight, the higher relative fat in the NP must have been offset by a lower relative fat-free body weight. Plots for the mean somatotypes of the three groups on standard somatocharts showed distinctly separate positions, with the NP and NA being lower and to the left of center compared with the P. The positional differences between the two gymnast groups and the NA were significant (p = .05), but the difference between the P and NP was not. The somatochart position of the P was almost identical to that determined for Olympic gymnasts. Variability measures showed the gymnasts to be more homogeneous on the various parameters than the reference group. However, they exhibited a greater variability than Olympic gymnasts. It would appear that certain body types may be advantageous for championship performance in women's gymnastics. These body types are those with relative fat approaching that of the male, higher than average mesomorphy, and lower than average endomorphy.
Falls et al. (Wed,) studied this question.