Anthropometric comparison of world-class sprinters and normal populations.

The present study compared the anthropometry of sprinters and people belonging to the normal population. The height and body mass (BM) distribution of sprinters (42 men and 44 women) were statistically compared to the distributions of American and Danish normal populations. The main results showed that there was significantly less BM and height variability (measured as standard deviation) among male sprinters than among the normal male population (US and Danish), while female sprinters showed less BM variability than the US and Danish normal female populations.

Estimation of VO2max from the ratio between HRmax and HRrest--the Heart Rate Ratio Method.

The effects of training and/or ageing upon maximal oxygen uptake ( VO(2max)) and heart rate values at rest (HR(rest)) and maximal exercise (HR(max)), respectively, suggest a relationship between VO(2max) and the HR(max)-to-HR(rest) ratio which may be of use for indirect testing of VO(2max). Fick principle calculations supplemented by literature data on maximum-to-rest ratios for stroke volume and the arterio-venous O(2) difference suggest that the conversion factor between mass-specific VO(2max) (ml.min(-1).