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May 17th 2014

http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/bhk.2009.1.issue--1/v10101009-0017-7/v10101-009-0017-7.xml
Postural variables in girls practicing volleyball
Magorzata Grabara1 / Andrzej Hadzik1
Chair of Tourism, Recreation and Management, University School of Physical Education, Katowice, Poland 1
This content is open access.
(CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

Citation Information: Biomedical Human Kinetics. Volume 1, Pages 6771, ISSN (Online) 2080-2234,
ISSN (Print) ,DOI: 10.2478/v10101-009-0017-7, October 2009
Publication History:
Published Online:
2009-10-06

Postural variables in girls practicing volleyball

Study aim: To assess body posture of young female volleyball players in relation to their untrained mates.

Material and methods: A group of 42 volleyball players and another of 43 untrained girls, all aged 13 - 16
years were studied with respect to their body posture indices by using computer posturography. Spinal
angles and curvatures were measured, and asymmetry and body posture type were assessed. Body
height and mass, BMI and body fat content (by bioimpedance technique) were determined.

Results: As compared with untrained girls, the volleyball players were more slender, the positions of
shoulders and pelvis being more symmetrical, and shoulder blades and waist triangles were more
asymmetrical. Volleyball players were predominantly kyphotic, their lumbar lordosis was flattened and
head protruded, especially in those having longer training experience.

Conclusions: The observed asymmetries brought about by unilateral training loads and progressing
thoracic kyphosis call for applying corrective and/or yoga exercises to adolescent female volleyball
players.

Keywords: Body posture; Physical development; Female volleyball players; Training