TY - JOUR A1 - Nevill, Alan M. A1 - Negra, Yassine A1 - Myers, Tony D. A1 - Sammoud, Senda A1 - Chaabene, Helmi T1 - Key somatic variables associated with, and differences between the 4 swimming strokes JF - Journal of sports sciences N2 - This study identified key somatic and demographic characteristics that benefit all swimmers and, at the same time, identified further characteristics that benefit only specific swimming strokes. Three hundred sixty-three competitive-level swimmers (male [n = 202]; female [n = 161]) participated in the study. We adopted a multiplicative, allometric regression model to identify the key characteristics associated with 100 m swimming speeds (controlling for age). The model was refined using backward elimination. Characteristics that benefited some but not all strokes were identified by introducing stroke-by-predictor variable interactions. The regression analysis revealed 7 "common" characteristics that benefited all swimmers suggesting that all swimmers benefit from having less body fat, broad shoulders and hips, a greater arm span (but shorter lower arms) and greater forearm girths with smaller relaxed arm girths. The 4 stroke-specific characteristics reveal that backstroke swimmers benefit from longer backs, a finding that can be likened to boats with longer hulls also travel faster through the water. Other stroke-by-predictor variable interactions (taken together) identified that butterfly swimmers are characterized by greater muscularity in the lower legs. These results highlight the importance of considering somatic and demographic characteristics of young swimmers for talent identification purposes (i.e., to ensure that swimmers realize their most appropriate strokes). KW - swim speed KW - talent identification KW - limb dimensions KW - ratios KW - allometric KW - models KW - log-linear regression Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2020.1734311 SN - 0264-0414 SN - 1466-447X VL - 38 IS - 7 SP - 787 EP - 794 PB - Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group CY - London ER - TY - GEN A1 - Nevill, Alan M. A1 - Negra, Yassine A1 - Myers, Tony D. A1 - Duncan, Michael J. A1 - Chaabene, Helmi A1 - Granacher, Urs T1 - Are Early or Late Maturers Likely to Be Fitter in the General Population? T2 - Postprints der Universität Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe N2 - The present study aims to identify the optimal body-size/shape and maturity characteristics associated with superior fitness test performances having controlled for body-size, sex, and chronological-age differences. The sample consisted of 597 Tunisian children (396 boys and 201 girls) aged 8 to 15 years. Three sprint speeds recorded at 10, 20 and 30 m; two vertical and two horizontal jump tests; a change-of-direction and a handgrip-strength tests, were assessed during physical-education classes. Allometric modelling was used to identify the benefit of being an early or late maturer. Findings showed that being tall and light is the ideal shape to be successful at most physical fitness tests, but the height-to-weight “shape” ratio seems to be test-dependent. Having controlled for body-size/shape, sex, and chronological age, the model identified maturity-offset as an additional predictor. Boys who go earlier/younger through peak-height-velocity (PHV) outperform those who go at a later/older age. However, most of the girls’ physical-fitness tests peaked at the age at PHV and decline thereafter. Girls whose age at PHV was near the middle of the age range would appear to have an advantage compared to early or late maturers. These findings have important implications for talent scouts and coaches wishing to recruit children into their sports/athletic clubs. T3 - Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe - 695 KW - youth KW - fitness tests KW - allometry KW - body shape KW - biological age Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-489928 SN - 1866-8364 IS - 695 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Nevill, Alan M. A1 - Negra, Yassine A1 - Myers, Tony D. A1 - Duncan, Michael J. A1 - Chaabene, Helmi A1 - Granacher, Urs T1 - Are Early or Late Maturers Likely to Be Fitter in the General Population? JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health N2 - The present study aims to identify the optimal body-size/shape and maturity characteristics associated with superior fitness test performances having controlled for body-size, sex, and chronological-age differences. The sample consisted of 597 Tunisian children (396 boys and 201 girls) aged 8 to 15 years. Three sprint speeds recorded at 10, 20 and 30 m; two vertical and two horizontal jump tests; a change-of-direction and a handgrip-strength tests, were assessed during physical-education classes. Allometric modelling was used to identify the benefit of being an early or late maturer. Findings showed that being tall and light is the ideal shape to be successful at most physical fitness tests, but the height-to-weight “shape” ratio seems to be test-dependent. Having controlled for body-size/shape, sex, and chronological age, the model identified maturity-offset as an additional predictor. Boys who go earlier/younger through peak-height-velocity (PHV) outperform those who go at a later/older age. However, most of the girls’ physical-fitness tests peaked at the age at PHV and decline thereafter. Girls whose age at PHV was near the middle of the age range would appear to have an advantage compared to early or late maturers. These findings have important implications for talent scouts and coaches wishing to recruit children into their sports/athletic clubs. KW - youth KW - fitness tests KW - allometry KW - body shape KW - biological age Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020497 SN - 1660-4601 VL - 18 IS - 2 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER -