CHARACTERISTICS OF BODY COMPOSITION, LIMB COMPOSITION, AND SKINFOLD THICKNESS IN FEMALE DISTANCE RUNNERS

Abstract

Eleven feamle distance runners were assessed for body composition, limb composition, and skinfold thickness. Body composition was measured by underwater weighing method. The cross-sectional area of subcutaneous fat and muscle in forearm, upper arm, leg, and thigh were obtained by using ultrasonic system. Skinfold thicnesses of seven sites were determined with ultrasonic apparatus. Runners averaged 157.0 cm in body height, 50.2 kg in body weight, 18.9% in relative body fat, and 40.6 kg in lean body mass. When compared untrained normal women, runners had significantly lower relative fat. However, there were no significant differences in lean body mass between runners and untrained. Within runners the more successful performers possessed lower relative body fat. Runners showed lower values of skinfold thickness than that of untrained for all measurement sites. The greatest differences in skinfold thickness between runners and untrained was found in side abdomen. Subcutaneous fat area of runners were significantly smaller than that of untrained. However, runners showed significantly larger muscle area for leg only compared with untrained. These results in body and limb composition of female distance runners may be mainly reffered to the characteristics of aerobic running training.