A comparative study between physical & physiological parameters in athletes & age matched controls

Abstract

Abstract: Running is the most natural part of athletics. Every game requires an ability to run fast. Short and long distance running can be traced back from the ancient Greeks which have evolved over centuries to have reached to the modern track events. Today competition in sports has achieved the highest level. In India the scientific community has recently started contributing towards the development of an athlete. But looking at the vast sporting population, this contribution is still scares. As there is less scientific research done on sprinters, this study was undertaken in the view of paucity of scientific assessment of Indian sprinters. The present study was undertaken to assess, analyze and compare height, weight, arm span, body segments, muscular strength and endurance in sprinters and age matched controls and to compare these results with national and international standards. Parameters like height, weight, arm span, upper segment, lower segment, body-composition, strength using bench squat and bench press(1 RM method), leg and back dynamometry & endurance using push-up & sit-ups scores were assessed. Our study reveals that, sprinters had more strength and endurance as compared to age matched controls, which are highly significant. Both are utmost essential for being a good sprinter. Whereas there was highly significant decrease in weight, fat percent, fat mass of sprinters than the control group. The values for height, upper and lower body segments, arm span did not differ significantly in these two groups. Hence to improve performance of Indian sprinters and reach a position in national and international arena, athletes should be regularly assessed and trained. The training schedule should be more specific for that particular athlete based on his dimensions. Continuing improvements in the performance of short distance runners and increasing levels of participation needs to be generated to know more about the physiology of these athlete groups