Body composition and physical capacity of elite adolescent female tennis players.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional observational study of a small athletic cohort
What was done
Seventeen elite adolescent female tennis players aged 15 to 17 years (national ranking 1st–80th; ITF junior ranking 21st–990th) were evaluated across three age groups. Anthropometric parameters (body mass, height, BMI, fat-free mass, and body fat percentage) were measured using bioelectrical impedance. Aerobic capacity (VO2max) was estimated indirectly using the Cooper 12-minute run test, and anaerobic capacity was assessed via the Wingate test with blood lactate measurement. Correlations between physiological variables and tennis ranking positions were evaluated.
What was found
The abstract reports no exact numbers, correlation coefficients, or p-values. It notes an age-related increase in body mass, height, fat-free mass, and body fat percentage, which authors interpreted as a delayed growth spurt between ages 15 and 17. Body composition metrics did not correlate with ranking positions. Tennis ranking position correlated with estimated VO2max, but not with Wingate maximal power or work output. Across the cohort, Wingate power and work output were positively proportional to BMI and fat-free mass, but not body fat percentage.
Why it matters
It suggests that aerobic endurance may be more closely linked to competitive junior ranking than anaerobic power or body composition in developing female tennis players.
Limits
The sample size is very small (n=17) and limited to adolescent females, preventing broad generalization. The study is cross-sectional, making claims about delayed longitudinal growth spurts speculative. VO2max was estimated via a field test (Cooper test) rather than measured directly via spirometry, and body composition was assessed via bioelectrical impedance rather than dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.
Cited by
- supports In the Cooper 12-minute run test, VO2 max is estimated using the formula: (distance covered in meters minus 504.9) divided by 44.73.