Anthropometric growth patterns of high school wrestlers

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the anthropometric growth patterns of high school wrestlers; 477 high school wrestlers volunteered as subjects for this study. The total sample was divided into four independent age groups: Age group 1 (AG1) = 14.00-14.99 yr (N = 38); AG2 = 15.00-15.99 yr (N = 130); AG3 = 16.00-16.99 yr (N = 163); and AG4 = 17.00-17.99 yr (N = 146). Thirteen anthropometric dimensions (seven diameters and six circumferences) were taken on each subject. To examine normal growth patterns, the anthropometric data were compared with values from a national representative sample of adolescent males. The results indicated that there were few differences between the wrestlers and the national sample for yearly changes in the anthropometric dimensions. These findings suggest that participation in high school wrestling, which typically includes repeated bouts of weight cycling, does not adversely affect normal anthropometric growth patterns.