By Jacques Thibault, Special Olympics BC Sport Consultant
Jacques Thibault, an internationally recognized training and speed skating expert with a Master’s degree in science, works with Special Olympics BC athletes and coaches to help empower them to be their very best.
Morphology
The morphology of a person deals with their form and structure.
A person’s body type can be characterized by size (height and weight) and by percentage of body fat. This is weight and height are recorded during functional testing.
Relevance to performance
Height and weight have been shown to directly affect Special Olympics performance. As discussed earlier, the weight (mass) of an athlete increases friction forces in corners and requires more strength to move the body forward and up. In many sports, being lighter represents a clear advantage. A great example would be for long distance runners. Top performers for both men and women are lighter.
The body requires a certain amount of fat for normal functions to store energy and insulate the body. However, too much fat can be extra baggage that must be hauled around every day and during competitions. Carrying this excess fat may require wasted energy and increase forces acting against the athletes, thus slowing performance. Because of this fact, many of the specific functional tests include the body weight in their calculations. VO2 max results (from beep tests) are presented in ml per minute per kilogram.
Test methods
Height and weight are measured in a typical way – using a tape measure and a scale.
Body fat percentage is the mass of fat divided by the whole body mass of a person. Body fat percentage is typically estimated by body fat scales using a technology called bioelectrical impedance or by using a skin fold tests. The thickness of a pinch of skin along with the underlying fat (not muscle) is measured using special callipers. From skinfold measurements, taken from various points of the body, the percentage of body fat can be estimated. This can be done using a number of different formulas. However, it is important to always use the same body fat percentage formulas because different formulas give different results.
Results of tests
A wide range of results is acceptable depending on sports, in general, fat percentage range for average athletes;
Men 7% - 15%
Women 13% - 20%
Decreasing body fat percentage can improve performance. However, it is recommended to stay above seven per cent for males and 13 per cent for females, as performance and health may be decreased. The lower limits are “essential fats” that are required in the body for normal physiologic function (e.g. bone marrow, spinal cord, heart, liver, spleen, kidneys). Females have a higher “essential fat” percentage than males because of sex-specific fats.
Possible improvements
Weight can be controlled by the level and type of training (energy expended) along with the proper nutrition (energy intake). A higher volume of training and/or a lower intake of calories can decrease the weight of an individual.
When a person loses weight the objective is to decrease body fat and not lose muscle mass. Healthy changes in weight should occur at a rate of about one to two kilograms a month. Faster decreases in weight (e.g. intake reduction diets) can cause decreases in muscle mass and not the desired decrease in body fat. A well-balanced intake of food, vitamins, and minerals is essential. Consulting with your coach and doctor about nutrition is critical to optimal performance. The relationship between calories intake versus calories spent is a critical concept to understand.