Body composition and expiratory reserve volume in female gymnasts and runners

Previous research in this laboratory demonstrated a reduction in expiratory reserve volume of the lungs (ERV) with increasing body fatness (%F, by densitometry). The present study was done to determine if smaller ERV values could be demonstrated in lean female athletes with greater than normal upper-body muscle development. Expiratory reserve volume, vital capacity (VC), and segmental body volumes by densitometry were measured in members of two collegiate women's teams--gymnastics (G) (N = 10) and track (R) (N = 10). The runners provided a control group by being similar to gymnasts in age, weight, and body fatness, but they did not engage in upper-body weight training or gymnastic exercises. The two groups were not significantly different in body weight (means G +/- SD = 53.0 +/- 6.1 kg; means R = 50.8 +/- 4.6 kg) or %F (means G = 16.8 +/- 3.2%; means R = 14.8 +/- 3.8%), but R subjects were taller (means = 165.4 +/- 5.5 cm vs 158.7 +/- 4.8 cm, P less than 0.01). Expiratory reserve volume, expressed as a percent of VC, (ERV X VC-1) 100, was significantly (P less than 0.001) less in the gymnasts (means +/- SD = 29.7 +/- 7.1) as compared to the runners (43.1 +/- 6.4). All other lung capacities as volumes were comparable in both groups. Arm and thorax volumes indicated greater upper-body size in the G subjects (arm volume, means +/- SD of G = 4.8 +/- 0.6 liters, of R = 4.0 +/- 0.6 liters, P less than 0.01; thorax volume, means +/- SD of G = 7.8 +/- 1.4 liters, or R = 5.6 +/- 1.0 liters, P less than 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)