The Physical Characteristics of Elite Female Rugby Union Players
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Participants and Study Design
2.2. Anthropometrics
2.3. Body Composition
2.4. Statistical Methods
3. Results
3.1. Analysis between Forwards and Backs
3.2. BMD between Forwards and Backs
3.3. Analysis within Forward and Back Positional Groups
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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All Players | Position | Mean Diff | 95% CI | % Diff; ES | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Forwards | Backs | |||||
(n = 30) | (n = 15) | (n = 15) | (± SE) | |||
Age (y) | 25.6 ± 4.3 | 25.3 ± 3.6 | 25.8 ± 5.0 | −0.5 ± 1.6 | −3.7, 2.8 | −1.8; −0.11 |
Height (cm) | 171.3 ± 7.7 | 175.6 ± 6.3 * | 167.0 ± 6.6 | 8.6 ± 2.4 | 3.8, 13.5 | 5.2; 1.34 |
Body Mass (kg) | 83.5 ± 13.9 | 93.7 ± 10.9 * | 73.3 ± 7.5 | 20.5 ± 3.4 | 13.5, 27.5 | 27.9; 2.19 |
Sum8SF (mm) | 111.3 ± 36.7 | 128.2 ± 36.6 * | 94.4 ± 29.0 | 33.8 ± 12.1 | 9.1, 58.5 | 35.8; 1.02 |
Lean Mass (kg) | 60.9 ± 7.8 | 66.2 ± 6.3 * | 55.6 ± 5.3 | 10.6 ± 2.1 | 6.3, 14.9 | 19.0; 1.83 |
Fat Mass (kg) | 20.3 ± 6.6 | 25.3 ± 5.4 * | 15.4 ± 3.1 | 9.9 ± 1.6 | 6.6, 13.2 | 64.5; 2.25 |
Fat % (%) | 23.6 ± 4.2 | 26.5 ± 3.1 * | 20.8 ± 3.0 | 5.8 ± 1.1 | 3.5, 8.1 | 27.7; 1.87 |
BMC (kg) | 2.9 ± 0.3 | 3.1 ± 0.3 * | 2.7 ± 0.2 | 0.4 ± 0.1 | 0.2, 0.5 | 13.1; 1.40 |
BMD (g/cm2) | 1.24 ± 0.08 | 1.26 ± 0.08 | 1.23 ± 0.07 | 0.03 ± 0.03 | −0.03, 0.08 | 2.1; 0.33 |
All Players | Position | Mean Diff | 95% CI | % Diff; ES | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Forwards | Backs | ||||||
(n = 30) | (n = 15) | (n = 15) | (± SE) | ||||
Trunk | Lean Mass (kg) | 29.4 ± 4.2 | 32.2 ± 3.7 * | 26.6 ± 2.5 | 5.6 ± 1.2 | 3.3, 7.9 | 21.0; 1.77 |
Fat Mass (kg) | 8.5 ± 3.5 | 10.8 ± 3.4 * | 6.2 ± 1.6 | 4.6 ± 1.0 | 2.6, 6.6 | 75.3; 1.75 | |
BMC (kg) | 0.90 ± 0.12 | 0.94 ± 0.12 * | 0.85 ± 0.10 | 0.10 ± 0.04 | 0.01, 0.18 | 11.2; 0.88 | |
Arms | Lean Mass (kg) | 6.9 ± 0.9 | 7.5 ± 0.8 * | 6.3 ± 0.7 | 1.1 ± 0.3 | 0.6, 1.7 | 17.9; 1.53 |
Fat Mass (kg) | 2.3 ± 0.9 | 2.9 ± 0.8 * | 1.7 ± 0.4 | 1.2 ± 0.2 | 0.7, 1.7 | 71.7; 1.87 | |
BMC (kg) | 0.40 ± 0.06 | 0.44 ± 0.05 * | 0.37 ± 0.04 | 0.07 ± 0.02 | 0.04, 0.11 | 19.5; 1.51 | |
Legs | Lean Mass (kg) | 21.5 ± 3.0 | 23.3 ± 2.4 * | 19.6 ± 2.5 | 3.7 ± 0.9 | 1.8, 5.5 | 18.6; 1.50 |
Fat Mass (kg) | 8.5 ± 2.6 | 10.5 ± 1.8 * | 6.5 ± 1.4 | 4.0 ± 0.6 | 2.8, 5.2 | 62.2; 2.50 | |
BMC (kg) | 1.08 ± 0.14 | 1.17 ± 0.13 * | 1.00 ± 0.10 | 0.17 ± 0.04 | 0.08, 0.26 | 17.0; 1.48 |
All Players | Position | Mean Diff | 95% CI | % Diff; ES | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Forwards | Backs | |||||
(n = 30) | (n = 15) | (n = 15) | (SE) | |||
Arms | 0.84 ± 0.06 | 0.87 ± 0.07 * | 0.82 ± 0.05 | 0.05 ± 0.02 | 0.01, 0.10 | 6.5; 0.92 |
Legs | 1.29 ± 0.09 | 1.31 ± 0.10 | 1.27 ± 0.07 | 0.05 ± 0.03 | −0.02, 0.11 | 3.7; 0.54 |
Ribs | 0.77 ± 0.07 | 0.78 ± 0.07 | 0.76 ± 0.06 | 0.02 ± 0.02 | −0.03, 0.07 | 3.1; 0.36 |
Spine | 1.17 ± 0.13 | 1.19 ± 0.14 | 1.15 ± 0.12 | 0.04 ± 0.05 | −0.05, 0.14 | 3.7; 0.34 |
Pelvis | 1.55 ± 0.18 | 1.56 ± 0.17 | 1.55 ± 0.19 | 0.01 ± 0.07 | −0.12, 0.15 | 0.7; 0.06 |
Head | 2.19 ± 0.24 | 2.20 ± 0.27 | 2.18 ± 0.21 | 0.03 ± 0.09 | −0.16, 0.21 | 1.2; 0.11 |
Total | 1.24 ± 0.08 | 1.26 ± 0.08 | 1.23 ± 0.07 | 0.03 ± 0.03 | −0.03, 0.08 | 2.1; 0.33 |
Total t-score | 1.58 ± 0.97 | 1.80 ± 1.03 | 1.31 ± 0.86 | 0.49 ± 0.39 | −0.32, 1.30 | 37.5; 0.51 |
Clinical Sites | ||||||
Lumbar (L2–L4) | 1.31 ± 0.15 | 1.36 ± 0.14 | 1.25 ± 0.13 | 0.10 ± 0.05 | 0.00, 0.21 | 8.1; 0.73 |
Femoral Neck | 1.12 ± 0.11 | 1.16 ± 0.10 * | 1.07 ± 0.12 | 0.08 ± 0.04 | 0.00, 0.16 | 7.8; 0.77 |
Trochanter | 0.94 ± 0.10 | 0.95 ± 0.10 | 0.94 ± 0.11 | 0.01 ± 0.04 | −0.07, 0.09 | 0.8; 0.07 |
Intertrochanter | 1.39 ± 0.14 | 1.42 ± 0.13 | 1.35 ± 0.14 | 0.07 ± 0.05 | −0.03, 0.17 | 5.3; 0.53 |
Total hip | 1.21 ± 0.11 | 1.24 ± 0.10 | 1.18 ± 0.12 | 0.06 ± 0.04 | −0.03, 0.14 | 4.7; 0.50 |
Clinical site t-score | 1.99 ± 1.46 | 2.46 ± 1.41 | 1.44 ± 1.37 | 1.03 ± 0.57 | −0.16, 2.21 | 71.4; 0.74 |
Forward Positional Groups (n = 15) | Back Positional Groups (n = 15) | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
TF | LF | Mean Diff | IB | OB | Mean Diff | |||||
(n = 9) | (n = 6) | (± SE) | 95% CI | % Diff; ES | (n = 8) | (n = 7) | (± SE) | 95% CI | % Diff; ES | |
Age (y) | 25.2 ± 3.0 | 25.5 ± 4.8 | −0.3 ± 2.0 | −4.6, 4.0 | −1.1; −0.07 | 26.8 ± 4.9 | 24.7 ± 5.3 | 2.0 ± 2.6 | −3.6, 7.7 | 8.2; 0.40 |
Anthropometrics | ||||||||||
Height (cm) | 174.8 ± 7.6 | 176.8 ± 3.9 | −2.1 ± 3.4 | −9.4, 5.3 | −1.2; −0.32 | 168.8 ± 8.0 | 164.9 ± 4.3 | 3.8 ± 3.4 | −3.5, 11.2 | 2.3; 0.58 |
Weight (kg) | 98.8 ± 10.9 * | 86.0 ± 4.9 | 12.8 ± 4.8 | 2.5, 23.1 | 14.9; 1.41 | 73.6 ± 5.8 | 72.9 ± 9.6 | 0.7 ± 4.0 | −8.0, 9.4 | 0.9; 0.09 |
Sum8SF (mm) | 149.2 ± 28.8 * | 96.8 ± 20.9 | 52.4 ± 13.7 | 22.8, 82.1 | 54.2; 2.01 | 95.5 ± 31.2 | 93.2 ± 28.9 | 2.3 ± 15.6 | −31.4, 36.0 | 2.5; 0.08 |
Body Composition | ||||||||||
Total Lean Mass (kg) | 68.5 ± 7.1 * | 62.9 ± 2.3 | 5.6 ± 3.1 | −1.0, 12.2 | 8.9; 0.97 | 55.5 ± 4.9 | 55.8 ± 6.0 | −0.3 ± 2.8 | −6.4, 5.8 | −0.5; −0.05 |
Total Fat Mass (kg) | 28.2 ± 4.7 * | 21.0 ± 3.2 | 7.3 ± 2.2 | 2.5, 12.0 | 34.6; 1.75 | 15.8 ± 2.1 | 14.9 ± 4.0 | 0.9 ± 1.6 | −2.5, 4.5 | 6.6; 0.31 |
Total Fat % (%) | 28.2 ± 2.4 * | 24.0 ± 2.3 | 4.2 ± 1.3 | 1.5, 6.9 | 17.5; 1.77 | 21.4 ± 2.4 | 20.1 ± 3.7 | 1.3 ± 1.6 | −2.1, 4.8 | 6.6; 0.43 |
Trunk Lean Mass (kg) | 33.7 ± 3.7 * | 29.9 ± 2.6 | 3.8 ± 1.8 | 0.2, 7.6 | 12.7; 1.14 | 27.2 ± 2.2 | 25.9 ± 2.7 | 1.3 ± 1.3 | −1.4, 4.1 | 5.1; 0.54 |
Trunk Fat Mass (kg) | 12.7 ± 2.9 * | 8.0 ± 1.9 | 4.7 ± 1.3 | 1.8, 7.6 | 58.6; 1.84 | 6.2 ± 1.3 | 6.1 ± 2.0 | 0.1 ± 0.9 | −1.8, 1.9 | 0.4; 0.02 |
Arm Lean Mass (kg) | 7.7 ± 0.8 | 7.2 ± 0.6 | 0.5 ± 0.4 | −0.4, 1.3 | 6.7; 0.65 | 6.2 ± 0.6 | 6.5 ± 0.9 | −0.3 ± 0.4 | −1.1, 0.6 | −3.8; −0.33 |
Arm Fat Mass (kg) | 3.2 ± 0.8 * | 2.3 ± 0.6 | 0.9 ± 0.4 | 0.2, 1.8 | 41.5; 1.35 | 1.8 ± 0.2 | 1.5 ± 0.4 | 0.3 ± 0.2 | −0.1, 0.7 | 19.0; 0.86 |
Leg Lean Mass (kg) | 23.8 ± 2.8 | 22.6 ± 1.5 | 1.2 ± 1.3 | −1.5, 3.9 | 5.2; 0.50 | 19.1 ± 2.3 | 20.3 ± 2.8 | −1.2 ± 1.3 | −4.0, 1.7 | −5.7; −0.46 |
Leg Fat Mass (kg) | 11.1 ± 1.5 | 9.5 ± 1.9 | 1.6 ± 0.9 | −0.3, 3.5 | 16.6; 0.96 | 6.8 ± 1.0 | 6.1 ± 1.8 | 0.7 ± 0.7 | −0.9, 2.3 | 11.6; 0.50 |
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Posthumus, L.; Macgregor, C.; Winwood, P.; Tout, J.; Morton, L.; Driller, M.; Gill, N. The Physical Characteristics of Elite Female Rugby Union Players. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 6457. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17186457
Posthumus L, Macgregor C, Winwood P, Tout J, Morton L, Driller M, Gill N. The Physical Characteristics of Elite Female Rugby Union Players. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020; 17(18):6457. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17186457
Chicago/Turabian StylePosthumus, Logan, Campbell Macgregor, Paul Winwood, Jamie Tout, Lillian Morton, Matthew Driller, and Nicholas Gill. 2020. "The Physical Characteristics of Elite Female Rugby Union Players" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17, no. 18: 6457. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17186457