Morphological characteristics of visually impaired tennis practitioners

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate somatotype and body composition of a population of sound-tennis players.

Method: The research included a descriptive, cross-sectional design, with a quantitative focus. The sample consists of 13 male sound-tennis players: eight Spanish and five from other countries that were recruited in an international tournament in May 2017. The Spanish population started the practice of this discipline two years before the data collection, while the other group was more experienced with 4-6 years of sports practice. Anthropometric characteristics and body composition of both populations were determined by the protocols described by the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry.

Results: All the participants presented an endomorphic mesomorph somatotype. No significant differences were detected regarding fat and muscle masses when comparing Spanish vs others. Spanish players displayed significantly higher values of biceps and medial calf skinfolds, but also lower bone mass and height.

Conclusions: All participants were slightly overweight. The Spanish para-athletes tend to accumulate fat in the upper and lower limbs that could affect their tennis performance. These indicators should be taken into account when planning diet, training and season goals.