Morphological Asymmetries Profile and the Difference between Low- and High-Performing Road Cyclists Using 3D Scanning

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Biomechanics
• Anthropometry

Background:

• Morphological asymmetries can influence athletic performance.
• Understanding limb and torso asymmetries is crucial for optimizing training in road cycling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and compare morphological asymmetries in high-performing (HPG) versus low-performing (LPG) road cyclists.
• To explore the correlation between asymmetry scores and competition performance (CP).

Main Methods:

• Utilized 3D scanning and electrical bioimpedance to measure body composition and anthropometry in 48 male road cyclists.
• Divided cyclists into HPG (n=22) and LPG (n=26) based on competition points.
• Employed ANOVA, paired-samples T-tests, and Spearman correlation to analyze data.

Main Results:

• LPG showed significant asymmetries in 11 paired variables (upper and lower body), while HPG showed significant differences in only 2 upper body variables.
• Significant differences in asymmetry were found between HPG and LPG for leg lean mass and calf girth.
• Absolute Asymmetry (AA) of calf girth negatively correlated with competition performance (CP) in the total sample.

Conclusions:

• High-performance road cyclists demonstrate greater morphological symmetry than their low-performance counterparts.
• A higher degree of morphological asymmetry is characteristic of lower-performing cyclists.
• Calf girth asymmetry is a potential indicator linked to reduced competition performance in road cyclists.