Differences in aerobic and anthropometric characteristics between peripubertal swimmers and non-swimmers

In order to judge the effect of moderate sports training on the anthropometric characteristics and aerobic capacity of boys before and during puberty, a comparative study was conducted of 140 children, 94 of whom were not undergoing any specific training and 45 of whom were spending more than 3 hours a week practising swimming. The boys were divided into three maturity groups according to pubic hair status: prepubertal, pubertal, and end of puberty. The study shows greater maximal oxygen uptake in absolute terms, body weight, lean body mass, chest circumference, arm circumference, and arm muscle area for the swimmers. The morphological differences between the swimmers and non-swimmers concern physical characteristics generally involved in swimming. The difference in aerobic capacity, however, may be in part due to the morphological changes engendered by training; a longitudal study would confirm this. It is suggested that anthropometric indicators of arm muscles may be used in the biological supervision of swimming training.