Anthropometrical and molecular aspects in elite gymnasts

The achievement of high agonistic level in sport depends on a range of factors including anthropometry, training, physiological and functional aspects. The aim of the study was to examine top-level gymnasts by an anthropometric and molecular point of view in order to analyse if there were specific characterizations. In this preliminary phase, 10 Italian International male gymnasts were examined. The analysis of anthropometric characters showed a great variability among subjects due to sample’s dimension and also to athlete’s different speciality. Our gymnasts are shorter and lighter than the general Italian population and presents percentage of fat and fat free mass respectively lower and higher than gymnasts of lower agonistic level and than general Italian population. In our sample athletes who excel at vaulting show high values of girths of limbs, while those who excel at rings and horizontal bar show a great difference between the two extremities. These aspects could be related to the different involvement of body districts in different specialities. As regards the genetic markers, the findings suggest that ACE presents a frequency of the deletion higher than the general Italian population but similar to power athletes. Moreover, lower frequencies of the FGB HindIII and GpIIIa rare alleles have been observed. These rare alleles increase blood’s viscosity and would hinder cardio-vascular efficiency in sport practice. Finally, all the athletes show the presence of -actinin-3 in type 2 fibers that was supposed to be an advantage for power sport.