CURRENT STATUS OF SELECTED MORPHOLOGICAL INDICES, BODY COMPOSITION, AND PHYSIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS IN FEMALE U15 SWIMMERS OF THE VIETNAM NATIONAL YOUTH TEAM
Keywords:
swimming, youth athletes, morphology, body composition, lactate threshold, periodized assessmentAbstract
Background: Swimming is a highly specialized sport requiring comprehensive development in morphology, physical fitness, and physiological function. For U15 athletes, this developmental stage coincides with the pubertal growth spurt in females, characterized by accelerated skeletal growth, substantial increases in muscle mass, and heightened sensitivity to training stimuli (Mirwald et al., 2002; Lätt et al., 2010).
Objective: This study aimed to determine the baseline status of morphological characteristics, body composition, somatotype, and physiological functions of female U15 swimmers from the Vietnam National Youth Team, thereby providing a foundation for establishing reference thresholds for individualized monitoring throughout training cycles.
Methods: Seven female swimmers (mean age: 12.9 ± 0.8 years; height: 154.0 ± 5.23 cm; body mass: 47.06 ± 3.62 kg) underwent comprehensive assessment in January 2023. The evaluation included: 12 anthropometric variables measured according to ISAK standards;
06 body composition indices assessed using the InBody 570 analyzer; Somatotype analysis using the Heath–Carter method; 04 physiological function indices, including lactate threshold parameters and vital capacity.
Results: Most anthropometric and body composition variables demonstrated coefficients of variation (CV) below 10%, indicating relative homogeneity within the group. Somatotype analysis revealed a predominant meso-ectomorphic tendency, consistent with the physical profile typical of young competitive swimmers. Lactate threshold variables exhibited very low variability (CV < 7%), whereas vital capacity showed a CV of 16.20%, reflecting substantial inter-individual differences in pulmonary function.
Conclusion: The baseline findings provide a set of reference percentiles (P25/P50/P75) and smallest worthwhile change thresholds (SWC = 0.2 × SD) for individualized athlete monitoring across training cycles. These results contribute to improving the effectiveness of longitudinal athlete surveillance and evidence-based training adjustment.
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