ANTHROPOMETRIC VALUES OF SPANISH BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS IN RELATION TO SPORTS PERFORMANCE LEVEL

ABSTRACT Introduction Since its debut at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, beach volleyball has grown on the international sports scene. An extensive collection of data from several countries and levels of competition will provide a database that can be used to characterize beach volleyball players and define references for training stages. Objective The purpose of this study was to describe and compare the anthropometric profiles of Spanish male and female beach volleyball players at different levels of competition in relation to sports performance. Methods The sample comprised 150 players participating in the 2011 Spanish Beach Volleyball Championships (Under 19, Under 21, and Senior categories). Using the ranking provided by the Royal Spanish Volleyball Federation, the subjects were distributed by performance level (level 1: players ranked first to fourth; level 2: players ranked fifth to ninth; and level 3: players ranked tenth to seventeenth). The study comprised a group of male players, with 18 level 1 ( M1 ), 39 level 2 ( M2 ), and 22 level 3 players ( M3 ), and a group of female players, with 18 level 1 ( F1 ), 41 level 2 ( F2 ), and 12 level 3 players ( F3 ). Results The top level male sample ( M1 ) had a significantly lower average age (19.33 years) than the men’s international elite players (30 years). The top Spanish players of both genders had much lower values for height and body weight than the international elite players. Conclusions Height and fat component are responsible for the differences between top and lower level beach volleyball players, for both men and women. Moreover, as the level of performance increases, players are taller and have a lower fat component. In view of the data observed in this study, the talent selection process in Spanish beach volleyball should aim to select taller individuals than at present. Level of evidence III; Therapeutic studies-Investigating the results of treatment.