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Professor James M. Tanner and the sport sciences.
1Department of Kinesiology and Health Education, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 77414, USA. rmalina@1skyconnect.net
Annals of Human Biology
|March 31, 2012
Summary
James Tanner
Area of Science:
- Sport Sciences
- Human Growth and Development
- Exercise Physiology
Background:
- James Tanner's research, though not directly in sport science, influenced the field.
- His work touched upon anthropometry, somatotyping, and physiological responses to training.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the implications of Tanner's selected papers and research projects for contemporary sport sciences.
- To highlight Tanner's indirect contributions to sports research and athlete studies.
Main Methods:
- Review of Tanner's early papers on ratio standards, somatotype, and cholesterol.
- Analysis of studies on anthropometric changes with weight training and cessation.
- Consideration of the 1960 Rome Olympic Games athlete survey and its impact.
- Examination of the Training of Youth Athletes (TOYA) study conducted in his department.
Main Results:
- Tanner's papers have implications for allometric scaling, cardiovascular risk factors, and training responses.
- The 1960 Olympic survey set a precedent for subsequent athlete data collection.
- The TOYA study found no significant influence of systematic training on adolescent growth and maturation.
Conclusions:
- James Tanner made significant direct and indirect contributions to the sport sciences.
- His foundational research continues to inform current studies in exercise physiology and human biology.
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