Anthropometric and
Physiological Dimensions UNIT 3 KINANTHROPOMETRY
and Practicing Anthropology
Contents
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Applications of Kinanthropometry
3.3 Kinanthropometry and Anthropometry
3.4 Relevance of Kinanthropometry
3.5 Summary
Suggested Reading
Sample Questions
Learning Objectives
&
Once you have read this unit you will be able understand:
Ø the meaning of kinanthropometry;
Ø how the knowledge of kinanthropometry can be used;
Ø the relation between kinanthropometry and anthropometry; and
Ø its relevance in different fields.
3.1 INTRODUCTION
The early 1970s witnessed emergence of a new scientific discipline called
Kinanthropometry. Kinanthropometry comprises of three Greek words kinein
(to move), anthropos (man) and metrein (to measure) referring to the dynamic
relationship and quantitative interface between human structure and function. It
is defined as the study of human size, shape, proportion, composition, maturation,
gross function and cardiorespiratory function, which enables to understand
growth, exercise, performance, and nutrition. Ever since that time
kinanthropometry has grown to be an all-encompassing scientific interest; with
the application in research related to auxology, physical anthropology, human
biology, physical education, sports science and medical science. Dynamic
anthropometry, sports anthropometry, physiological anthropometry all these terms
used by different scientists can be contained in the sphere of kinanthropometry.
The predominant focus is on obtaining detailed measurements of the body
composition of individuals for application in varied fields.
Kinanthropometry is a medium for individuals to contribute to basic research
and applications and is closely associated to physical education, sports science
and medicine, human biology, science of growth, physical anthropology,
gerontology, ergonometry, and other several disciplines. It is a scientific
specialisation dealing with body measurements in a variety of morphological
perspectives, its application to movement and those factors which influence
movement, including: components of body build, composition, proportions, shape
and maturation; cardio - respiratory capacities and motor abilities; physical
activities including recreational activity as well as highly specialised sports
performance.
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Kinanthropometry
3.2 APPLICATIONS OF KINANTHROPOMETRY
The application of kinanthropometry holds significant position in various fields.
Kinanthropometry is adjudged as the specialisation of science concerned with
the measurement of human body composition and is considered as the cross
point between anatomy and movement. In its application it involves a series of
human body measurements and the data thus gathered directly or calculated are
used to produce various indices to describe physique. Keeping in view the
changing lifestyle, nutrition, activity levels and ethnic composition of populations,
changes in the distribution of body dimensions are forever occurring. This is
where kinanthropometry plays a significant role by using human body
measurement and determining its capability for function and movement in a
range of setting.
Kinanthropometry is analogous to mechanistic approach to human motion i.e.
anthropometry. However, the studies in kinanthropometry are confined to width,
length and girth measurements instead of alterations that arise in the human
physique out of physical training.
The contribution of kinanthropometry lies in solving problems related to growth,
nutrition, exercise and performance. It is concerned with the application of
measurement to assess human size, shape, proportion, composition, maturation
and function. It puts an athlete into objective focus and gives a clear evaluation
of the individual structural status or provides for quantification of differential
growth and training influences. Without understanding growth of individuals
and their structural evolution, selection of talent and monitoring of training would
not be productive. Kinanthropometry provides the indispensable structural basis
for the consideration of athletic performance.
Kinanthropometry has been widely used in predicting the increasing secular trend
in body size of people and among different populations world-wide. The criteria
developed for this research can be used as standards for recruitment in disciplined
forces, as well as for streamlining and improving the basic measurement scale
for the manufacture of uniforms and equipments.
The human body has been studied for thousands of years, but the introduction of
the concept of body compartments study and a progression from the study of
corpses led to the increasingly accurate quantification of the living human
physique. As a result of increasingly precise evaluation of human body there has
been development of numerous theories, advanced approaches and techniques,
and inventions of sophisticated instruments. There are various concepts that lead
to further understanding of the human physique. Kinanthropometry along with
anthropometry, somatotyping, human anatomy and physiology is one such
method. Somatotyping is one of the most useful methods of evaluating human
physique. It is a physique classification system of quantified expression
description and describes the physical characteristics of the body and allows a
definition of body type through the analysis of its components. Somatotype is
the description of body type based on three components of endomorphy,
mesomorphy and ectomorphy. Endomorphy is the relative fatness; mesomorphy
is the relative musculo-skeletal robustness, while ectomorphy is the relative
linearity or slenderness of a physique. A somatotype is usually given as a
composite of three numbers, in which each number demonstrates the strength of
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Anthropometric and the respective component parts. The Heath-Carter method defines somatotype
Physiological Dimensions
and Practicing Anthropology
as a quantitative description of the present shape and composition of human
body. The most widely used somatotyping method is that of Heath and Carter
which is the classical method of anthropometric somatotype. The technique of
somatotyping is used to evaluate body shape and composition. Therefore,
somatotyping together with application of kinanthropometry could benefit other
fields like the clothing industry by improving the traditional sizing systems by
means of reference to the structure and function of the human body.
In the current scenario, the growth of sports and physical education of any country
is much dependent on the development of sport sciences which have contributed
significantly in the developed countries. Kinanthropometry is one such science
in this context. Combining the integral approach using both applied and basic
sciences the standard of sports and competitive performance can be developed.
The field of kinanthropometry in recent years holds a very significant role. The
importance of morphological characteristics in the performance of sports events
has certainly been recognised. It becomes imperative to study the morphology of
sportspersons in order to make an assessment of how close their physique and
morphology is with respect to the champions at various levels. The physique of
the Olympic players can be considered to be ideal in their respective events.
Nevertheless, just about every time the new records are being set up, there comes
up reports on humans getting bigger, larger and maturing faster during more
than ten decades. This implies that the most desirable physique of today may not
exactly be so in future, however, with no compromise on muscularity.
The investigations through kinanthropometry are of fundamental significance in
creating the pre-requisite as well as trainable characteristics of sportspersons
and athletes. Stature, leg length, arm length etc do not seem to change under
normal circumstances. Therefore, athletes in a particular sport need to have
such distinctive characteristics which would benefit him/her during the game. It
has been documented that the accomplishment of these characteristics will aid
an athlete to perform better during competition. The information provided can
be used as a norm for assessing the performance status.
The performance in any event of sports is a result of multifaceted and complicated
range of variables, which include variety of factors including physiological,
biomechanical and skill traits within different sports. The anthropometric
dimensions of an athlete specifying body shape, proportionality and composition,
are factors that contribute to play vital role in shaping the probability for success
in a chosen sport among elite athletes. Hence, it can be said with conviction that
athletes with ideal body type for a particular sport will remain competitive. The
characteristic body shape which we observe within sports today are a consequence
of both natural selection of thriving body type over consecutive generations, and
an adaptation to the training demands within the present generations. It is here
that kinanthropometry which is concerned with the study of body composition,
somatotype and proportionality play a pivotal role for athletic training and
selection of talented persons. In unison these three characteristics explain an
individual’s morphological profile, which provides as a foundation for planning
and monitoring athletic training. Despite the fact that sports performance are
reliant on several factors, and winning an event requires much more than an
individual player’s build and physical fitness, yet the anthropometric
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characteristics of the most successful athletes may serve as a guide in selection Kinanthropometry
of talented probable.
Body composition refers to the categorisation of body weight in terms of absolute
and relative amounts of fat mass and fat-free mass. Estimation and evaluation of
these characteristics constitute a very important facet of health, nutritional status
and physical fitness assessment. As mentioned earlier, somatotype is a
classification of the human body comprising to the three essential elements:
endomorphy, or relative adiposity; mesomorphy or relative musculoskeletal
development; and ectomorphy or relative human linearity. The relationship
between different body dimensions and stature are described by human
proportionality. This is an extremely vital concern for any person who wishes to
practice sports. This holds significance given that this relationship is linked with
a person’s physical ability to meet the biomechanical demands of a particular
sport or even playing position within a given sport. It is established that athletic
skill and feat, as well as propensity for a particular sport, depend greatly on
proportionality.
3.3 KINANTHROPOMETRY AND
ANTHROPOMETRY
Since athletic performance for a particular sport, depend greatly on proportionality,
the role of anthropometry is vital as it is where we can attain an account of the
physical dimensions of athletes through it and then evaluate the relative meaning
of these body dimensions by comparing two aspects. Using for example the
mean of the anthropometric variable for the athletes and comparing this to other
reference populations. These investigations assist us to enumerate the value of
characteristic body structures and to recommend functional advantage for athletes
in particular sports. The bright side of such results would show, more the mean
of the sport resemble the mean of the population, more are the chances of potential
pool of athlete from which to select.
The commonly used measures for anthropometric profile for athletes giving high-
performance are stature, sitting height to stature ratio, upper limb length to stature
ratio, brachial index (ratio of length of the forearm to length of upper arm) and
level of body fatness assessed using the sum of skinfold, wasit hip ratio, waist
height ratio and body mass. Let us understand each of these.
Stature plays an important role in the success of any sport event. An excellent
example showing the magnitude of the interaction of height and other
physiological performance can be best understood in running events. Have you
ever noticed that as one moves from the shorter distance races to the marathon;
that is at both the extremes; in terms of height of the athletes, most of them are
short? What could be the reason for it? The shorter distances have a comparatively
longer acceleration segment and consequently slightly low mean speed which
support shorter athlete with relatively short legs whereas in longer distance, excess
muscle mass is hindrance, necessitating substantial energy to be exhausted for
its transportation and yet has relatively low power production. This, demands
the athletes to be typically small lean and have low body mass index. Short
stature is predominantly favourable in acceleration and changing direction. It
permits decrease in moments of inertia which owing to conservation of angular
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Anthropometric and momentum throughout angular motion make easy increased angular velocity.
Physiological Dimensions
and Practicing Anthropology
Thus, smaller athlete can spin faster achieving more turn than tall athletes and
are beneficial for events such as gymnasts, skating ballet and diving. Nevertheless,
some pressure is manoeuvred towards selection of bigger athletes as they are
competent requiring a relatively lower energy cost per distance travelled. It is
known that maximum force produced by body is proportional to cross-sectional
area of each muscle and since muscle and bone of smaller athletes are stronger
in proportion to body weight, it gives them more agility and are less likely to get
injured from high velocities activities and hard landing resulting from sports
such as rock climbing, ski jumping etc.
It is not that tall stature does not have any importance in sports. Sports such as
volley ball, basket ball, rowing etc. are favourable to tall statured athletes. Tall
players’ requirement is to take jump lower relative to percentage of their stature;
this facilitates them to reach above net height for the ball.
Sitting height to stature ratio gives a suggestion of the relative length of the legs
to stature. The extremes in the ratio are found for athletes in sports requiring
upper body segments such as wrestling and weightlifters. Sports such as volley
ball, basketball etc which has the component of jumping need relatively short
trunks. Successful rowers have proportionally longer limbs and shorter sitting
height which provide a mechanical advantage during competition by allowing
longer stroke length. Additionally shorter sitting height lessens front surface area,
a source of resistance to moment.
Upper limb to stature ratio is negatively correlated with sitting height to stature
ratio. This means that individuals who have relatively long trunks will have
relatively short arms. Longer arms are beneficial as they mechanically present
longer stroke length useful in swimming and rowing. In throwing events it also
gives the athlete a longer lever to accelerate an object. Long arms exploit the
release velocity of the object, giving the largest distance for amount of muscle
mass. Athletes such as shot putters, javelin or discus throwers who need a single
and large push also benefit by this sort of relationship. As per the understanding
of many researchers greater shoulder width and arm length could be an advantage
in throwing tasks. In case of swimming strokes it is the shoulder joint that provides
the majority of propulsive force.
Brachial index is represented as length of forearm relative to the upper arm. A
high brachial index, in general, is beneficial for sports in which longer propulsive
drive of the forearm is desirable. A high brachial index facilitates for longer
stroke length, since the forearm is a longer lever resulting in increasing the velocity
of the hand at the end of the stroke. It contributes as an important factor in
throwing sports as javelin and discus where the athlete wants to have the thrown
object at the highest possible velocity the moment it leaves the hand; on the
other hand, a lower than average brachial index present better strength and
stability, whereas an athlete who has a low brachial index tends to have short
force arms which benefit in athletics such as shot put in which an immensely
strong push is needed. This arises since the muscle mass is more concentrated in
the arm.
Body mass and body fatness too play a vital role in certain sports events. Take
the case of rowing. It is purely the forward motion of the shell or boat which is
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the absolute power that the oarsperson generates. In the throwing events, body Kinanthropometry
mass is one of the factors responsible for performance, along with the acceleration
of the implement prior to its release. But the work capacity decrease with the
increase in body fat as the increased body fat acts as dead weight. In sports
which essentially require speed or explosive power e.g. sprinting or jumping,
excess fat will increase the body mass and decrease acceleration. In view of the
fact that heat generated in the course of increased metabolism of the working
muscle ought to be lost via evaporation, convection and radiation, the body surface
area to body mass ratio is of great meaning in the efficiency of heat dissipation.
As observed in leaner counterparts, the heat loss is more effective when the ratio
is higher. The amount of heat energy necessary to raise the temperature of a
given mass of adipose tissue is lower than that of fat free mass due to the fact
that there is difference in water content. A given heat load consequently increase
the temperature more in over fat than their leaner counterparts.
Nonetheless, in swimming, body fat provides greater bouncy to swimmers and
adds to enhance efficiency by decreasing hydrodynamic drag. This is due to the
fact that fat layer acts as thermal insulator to conserve body heat in the water, in
spite of high rate of heat production during competition. Not considering the
type of sport discipline, on an average, athletes are less fat and more muscular
than non-athletes.
It is realised that body weight does not convey the total picture regarding the
fitness of sportspersons. In most of the sports there is lesser requirement of extra
fat providing greater mass of muscles and bones. It has been observed that those
athletes have been found to be superior in performance in sports like football,
shot-put and weight lifting. Athletes who possess considerable amount of adipose
tissue have increased energy demands due to inert weight of fat, consequently,
rendering the work more difficult to carry out in endurance activities where the
body has to move longer with greater weight. This could perhaps be reason for
long distance runners to be less fatter than other runners in lower level competition.
It thus becomes evident that body fat plays an important role in sportspersons
which needs to be determined.
Lean tissue and subcutaneous tissue have vital function to play in physical
performance. These two components are known to influence physical performance
and vice versa which means that the participation of an individual in demanding
physical activity increases or decreases the amount of lean and subcutaneous
tissue. Generally it is observed that in players subcutaneous tissue is less and
lean tissue is more. Also, due to the nature of activity in the field it is observed
that the two components may differ even among the players of the same game.
Let us take hockey as an example. Among hockey players lean tissues play
significant role in forward halves because more muscular upper extremity
facilitates the players to hit the ball with force and similarly more muscular calf
allows the player to run fast and it is also recognised that a lot of running around
is required. The less amount of subcutaneous tissue also aids the player while
running as the players will have to carry less weight.
3.4 RELEVANCE OF KINANTHROPOMETRY
Kinanthropometry is an emerging scientific specialisation encompassing the
application of measurement to evaluate human size, shape, proportion,
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Anthropometric and composition, maturation and its gross function. It is a crucial discipline for
Physiological Dimensions
and Practicing Anthropology
problem-solving in matters related to growth, exercise, performance and nutrition.
The application of kinanthropometry has been extensively used in envisaging
the secular trend in increased body size of and among different ethnic groups
worldwide. The criterion developed using research in kinanthropometry can be
used as standards for physical recruitment in the armed forces as well as
streamlining and improving the fundamental measurement scale for
manufacturing uniforms and designing of furniture.
Body measurements of an individual hold significant position in the performance
of sports and as such these represent a critical element in the selection of the
athlete. We are familiar with the fact that a shot putter cannot give good
performance in the sprinting event and vice-versa. There has been number of
studies which have been conducted on physique and body composition of athletes
and sportsperson which reflect that the physique and body composition are explicit
in athletes and sportspersons of different physical activity.
Dental age is one such method which can be used in assessing the degree of
physiological maturity of a growing child. The emergence of dentition at a
particular age especially from six months to two years for deciduous dentition
and five to thirteen years for permanent dentition present decisive factor of
developmental age or it may be used as an index of physiological maturity.
There is a strong relation between adult stature of an individual and his stature at
childhood. It is a well recognised reality that stature is a key morphological
feature in majority of physical activity. The major task ahead of sports counselors/
coaches is to direct the sports probable in opting for an athletic activity ideally
suited to their adult stature well before their adult age. This would facilitate
them to undertake explicit training in particular athletic events. There is lot of
significance attached to the adequate calculation of adult stature and if feasible
of other physical dimensions in childhood. This would be a significant yardstick
to sports counselors for facilitating the sport probable in making a choice of a
particular sportive activity best suited to their prospective adult physique and
body characteristics. It goes beyond saying that such a counseling may go a long
way in steering clear of frustration caused after years of dedicated training by
those probables whose probability to attain the requisite physical status as an
adult are only slim. The distribution of height varies notably in different sportive
activities. It holds lot of significance that a good number of physical activities
are initiated by some of the sportsmen at the preadolescence age. Consequently
the sports counselor or coaches may possibly suggest the most suitable physical
activities to the sports probable say aged 9-11 years, keeping in view their adult
stature. Additionally, another responsibility of the sport counselor could be to
redirect the young children interests to some other appropriate physical activity
if they are following some incorrect physical activity due to change in different
requirement of adult stature than that anticipated to be accomplished by them at
childhood. Such corrective steps are likely only if suitable prediction standards
are available to sports counselors/coaches.
Physique and body composition play an important role in influencing the physical
performance of an individual. It has been noted that there is variation in growth
status during the adolescence period within the children of the same age groups.
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Regular physical activities during childhood are responsible for a positive Kinanthropometry
influence on the performance of an individual throughout growth. This pattern
of transformation according to age in physical activity events brings out the
meaning of training as one of the essential factor in the progress. The attainment
of distinctive physical characteristics is of basic significance for sportsmen of
many sportive activities. Being short of such a characteristics is expected to
limit their performance during competition, particularly when such characters
cannot be altered by training e.g. under normal conditions.
Kinanthropometry’s significant goal is to study variations in various body
measurements not only among different individuals but also among different
populations. This facilitates in understanding the growth process and maturation
in individuals, subsequently its bearing upon physical performance and work
capacity of the individual.
Kinanthropometry aids in recognising and discovering the mystique of various
dynamic processes and phenomenon of life. Let us appreciate it from the viewpoint
of a human biologist. He may be interested in understanding the dynamic pattern
of height growth of an individual. What could be the reason of size change with
age of a person? He would measure a child’s height at different ages and realise
that it does not increase uniformly with age and there is variation. He would then
look for answers at different levels: tissue, cellular and molecular.
A large fraction of kinanthropometric work deal with physical performance. A
person can be trained for physical stamina on the basis of kinanthropometric
studies. There are specific training programs available for developing strength,
local endurance and cardiorespriratory endurance to their maximum. A training
program can be designed to match the specific energy source needed for an athlete
specific event or contest. The effect of training depend upon the type of exercise
involved in the training program, the individual’s previous level of training, and
how dedicated and motivated the individual is. There are some specific principles
and guidelines underlying the development of muscular strength and endurance
as well as aerobic and anaerobic fitness of an individual. The type of exercise
performed plays an important role in influencing the increase in blood pressure.
For example isometric type work generally causes a greater increase in blood
pressure than isotonic exercise. Prolonged physical work in untrained subject
leads to much quicker fall in systolic blood pressure (which indicate nearing
fatigue) than for the trained person. Endurance training also improves blood
pressure recovery process after exercise. In other words, the blood pressure of
the trained person returns to the pre-exercise level sooner than it does for the
untrained person. . Other factors which affect blood pressure and heart rate of a
person are: age, sex, posture, and emotion.
The uniform manufacturers can make use of the information provided by
kinanthropometry and somatotyping of the body configurations to fine-tune their
patterns and sizing system. The application of kinanthropometry also involves
phenotype as well as the morphological change of the discipline personnel before
and after physical training. By making use of the kinanthropometry the
relationship between genetic, physical exercises and body shape of these
disciplined force personnel can be determined.
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Anthropometric and
Physiological Dimensions 3.5 SUMMARY
and Practicing Anthropology
Kinanthropometry is a distinct study of human size, shape, proportion,
composition, maturation, and gross function, facilitating in understanding growth,
exercise, performance, and nutrition. Kinanthropometry serves as a quantitative
interface between anatomy and physiology. It focuses on individual athletes into
objective focus and provides a clear assessment of his or her structural status at
any given time, or, more notably, provides for quantification of differential growth
and training influences. Without being appreciative of the growth of children
and youth and their structural evolution, selection of talent and monitoring of
training is largely a matter of lack of imagination and false impression;
kinanthropometry offers the fundamental structural basis for the reflection of
athletic performance. Kinanthropometry furnishes us with techniques of different
body measurements which can be used to study the gross size of an individual. It
would not only give an idea about his shape, size and proportion but would also
give an insight into his looks from different directions with respect to his various
body parts. It also equips us to understand relationships of different body
measurements.
Suggested Reading
John Mclester & Peter St. Pierre. 2008. Applied Bio-Mechanics Concepts &
Connections. Candada: Thomson Wadsworth.
James A. P. Day. 1986. Perspectives in Kinanthropometry. Virginia: Human
Kinetics Publishers.
Harminder Singh Sodhi & L. S. Sidhu. 1984. Physique and Selection of
Sportsmen: A Kinanthropometric Study. Punjab: Punjab Publishing House.
Sample Questions
1) Define kinanthropometry.
2) Discuss the important applications of kinanthropometry.
3) Elucidate the relationship of kinanthropometry and sport science.
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