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Skeletal Muscle Gender Dimorphism from Proteomics
Published on: December 14, 2011
The relationship between types of female athletic participation and female body type
Kirsten Robinson1, F Richard Ferraro
1Department of Psychology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58202-8380, USA.
Abstract:
In the present study, the authors examined 53 female athletes drawn from 4 different sports and 55 female nonathletes. The athletes were divided into 2 groups: speed focused and technique focused. The nonathlete control group consisted of college women who had not participated in any varsity sports at the university level. Participants were measured on scales of body dissatisfaction, preoccupation with weight, and self-perceptions of body type and weight. Analyses revealed that (a) speed-focused athletes and technique-focused athletes did not differ significantly in their concerns about weight and body image, and (b) nonathletes expressed more dissatisfaction with their bodies than both of the athlete groups. Results are discussed with regard to associations between female sports participation and body image.
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