An investigation on the anthropometry profile and its relationship with selected physical performance measurements of elite Chinese women volleyball players

The purposes of this study were to determine the anthropometric characteristics and physical performance in selected measurements of elite Chinese women volleyball players, identify the differences between the anthropometry and performance profiles of the players at different playing positions, and examine the correlations between the anthropometric characteristics and the physical performance of the players. Thirty anthropometric indices and four physical performance indices were measured for 100 volleyball players recruited from the top eight teams of 2007-8 national championship. The results revealed that most of the anthropometric indices were poorly correlated with the physical performance measurements, except that the femur biepicondylar breadth, calf girth and calf length were significantly correlated with the spring jump performance. There were significant differences among the anthropometric profiles of the players at different playing positions, especially in the body mass, stature, standing reach height, radiale-stylion length, acromiale-midstylion length, midstylion-dactylion length, iliospinale height length, tibiale-laterale height length, biacromial breadth, biilocristal breadth, transverse chest breadth and gluteal girth (all P＜0.001). However, the physical performance indices of the players at different positions showed no significant differences except the spring jump performance. The average somatotype of the players was “3.7-2.9-4.0”, according to the Heath-Carter anthropometric method, which indicated the type of ecto-endomorph. More specifically, the somatotype of the attackers and liberos belonged to the central type, and that of the second attackers and second setters were endomorphic ectomorph, and that of the setters were endomorph-ectomorph. Overall, the physique of elite Chinese women volleyball players appeared to be tall but well-proportioned. It is recommended that the typical anthropometric indices that should be considered in recruitment for women volleyball players include body mass, stature, sitting height, subscapular skinfold, ankle girth, forearm girth, biacromial breadth, and Achilles’ tendon length.