Simple anthropometry and peak expiratory flow rate in elite South Asian athletes

The athletes (n = 40) of South Asian Federation (SAF) Games were examined each taking a very short time. The athletes were runners (short distance, long distance and marathon), jumpers and throwers who were persuaded for the purpose. The throwers and the jumpers respectively comprised the oldest and youngest group of athletes in the study. The throwers were observed to be the tallest (mean height 179.96 +/- 1.49 cm) and heaviest (mean weight 92.27 +/- 3.81), whereas the long distance runners were of short height (mean value 162.80 +/- 2.61 cm) and light weight (mean value 50.41 +/- 2.58 kg). The highest mean values of PEFR (lit/min) were noted among the throwers (596.60 +/- 27.53) followed by marathon (590.0 +/- 32.18) and long distance runners (588.0 +/- 27.35). The lower values of PEFR were noted among the short distance runners (528.60 +/- 15.83) and jumpers (525.70 +/- 22.60). The PEFR values, when arranged according to height, were noted to be insignificantly increasing with the increase in age. The overall values of height, weight and PEFR were all found to be higher in these elite sportsmen when compared with their non-sportsman Indian counterparts.