Changes in selected somatic indices in 10-12 year old girls under the influence of 3-year swimming training

Abstract

Introduction: The aim of this research is to evaluate the somatic changes of female prepubertal swimming athletes. The question posed was: how does three years of swimming training affect the weight, body height and BMI and biological age of pre-adolescent girls who entered swimming training without pre-selection. Material and methods: The study group consisted of 14 girls aged 10 years at the start of the study (body weight: 34.99 ± 2.77 kg; body height: 146.00 ±3.05 cm) practising swimming, the control group of 14 girls aged 10 years at the start of the study (body weight: 37.93 ± 6.02 kg; body height: 145.55 ± 3.88 cm) attending physical education classes only. The study was conducted before 3 consecutive years, equally every 6 months between 8 and 12 am. Body weight and height were measured in both groups and the biological maturity shift index and body mass index were determined. Results: The analysis shows that female swimmers after systematic training have a lower body weight (F=10.78, p<0.01) and a lower BMI of 2.63 (F=12.23, p<0.01). No such differences are observed in body height and biological age (p>0.05). Conclusion: The study shows that swimming training influences changes in selected somatic indices of prepubertal girls. However, the conducted training does not affect the biological age, so it does not interfere with the natural development of the subjects. This may indicate a better assessment of the overall health of young female swimmers.