Direct and indirect interrelations between anthropometric and physiological variables in athletic and non-athletic adolescent girls: a path-analytic study

Our previous analysis of anthropometric and exercise test data of 62 athletic and 56 non-athletic girls (age range 10.5-15.5 years) showed that the intensity of habitual exercise failed to discriminate between the group means of the studied variables. However, the patterns of intervariable correlations differed between the subgroups categorized by physical activity. The present paper studies the problem of this difference further by using exploratory multivariate regression of aerobic power (VO₂max) on 10 anthropometric variables and age. The VO₂max regression was significant (Ynonathletic = 0.0194x₁ + 0.004x₂ - 0.371x₃ + 0.045x₄ - 0.177x₅ + 0.070x₆ - 0.271x₇ - 0.170x₈ + 0.015x₉ - 0.0005x₁₀ + 0.185x₁₁, SEE = 0.37, R² = 0.71, F11.44 = 9.63; Yathletic = 0.029x₁ + 0.063x₂ + 0.277x₃ - 0.030x₄ - 0.069x₅ + 0.151x₆ - 0.148x₇ + 0.001x₈ + 0.018x₉ - 0.019x₁₀ - 0.065x₁₁, SEE = 0.32, R² = 0.71, F11.50 = 11.30), but none or only one of the independent variables had a significant partial regression coefficient. The individual VO₂max estimates were studied in both groups by using the other group's regression formula to rule out sample dependence. Both formulae gave good approximations of the observed values in spite of the dissimilar regression coefficients. The path analysis of the respective criterion-predictor correlation coefficients confirmed that the relationship of the predictor variables with VO₂max involved quantitatively direct and indirect effects in the nonathletic and athletic groups. Unsere frühere Analyse der anthropometrischen und sportphysiologischen Testdaten von 63 athletischen und 56 nichtathletischen Mädchen im Alter von 10,5 bis 15,5 Jahren zeigte, daß die Intensität der regelmäßigen Körperübungen keinen Unterschied zwischen den Gruppendurchschnitten der untersuchten Variablen verursacht. Die Muster der intervariablen Korrelationen unterschieden sich dennoch zwischen den entsprechend der körperlichen Aktivität gebildeten Untergruppen. In der vorliegenden Untersuchung wird das Problem dieses Unterschiedes mit Hilfe der sondierenden multivariaten Regression der aeroben Kraft (VO₂max) an 10 anthropometrischen Variablen und dem Alter untersucht. Die VO₂max-Regression war signifikant (Ynichtathletisch = 0.0194x₁ + 0.004x₂ - 0.371x₃ + 0.045x₄ - 0.177x₅ + 0.070x₆ - 0.271x₇ - 0.170x₈ + 0.015x₉ - 0.0005x₁₀ + 0.185x₁₁, SEE = 0.37, R² = 0.71, F11.44 = 9.63; Yathl = 0.029x₁ + 0.063x₂ + 0.277x₃ - 0.030x₄ - 0.069x₅ + 0.151x₆ - 0.148x₇ + 0.001x₈ + 0.018x₉ - 0.019x