[Sports anthropological knowledge of relationships between individual hormone levels and anthropometric measuring...

As a tentative investigation of morpho-endocrinology, 92 male and 18 female long-distance runners (ages 21 to 72) were measured according to the standard anthropological techniques. 66 anthropometric parameters, the colours of hair and eyes were recorded. Seven growth factors were derived by means of factor analysis. The levels of 13 hormones were measured and morphological and endocrinological parameters were compared by means of correlation coefficients. So human growth hormone showed correlations to macrosomia and hyperplastic robustness. Estradiol was primarily related to the more feminine features of men, but also to leanness and slenderness of women. Testosterone exhibited significant correlations to mesomorphy and masculinity of males and leptomorphism and strength of females. Both sexes with higher insulin levels seemed to be more fat. Thyroxine (T4) showed a relation to endomorphy and leptomorphism of face, whereas Triiodothyronine (T3) exhibited correlations to ectomorphy. Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) was paralleling mesomorphy of males and hyperplastic robustness of females. Luteinizing hormone (LH), Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and Prolactin were related to microsomia and hypoplasia. The T4 levels of the dark-haired athletes were significantly higher than the levels of the bright-haired. Several correlations between morphology and hormonal status have been shown, which may be interpreted as a permanent endocrine constitution paralleling the somatotypical body shape, outlasting growth. These correlations however should not be interpreted as causal, as further experimental studies are needed to ascertain such a link.