ANATOMICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL FACTORS IN ELITE FEMALE KAYAKERS

Abstract

Olympic-style kayak racing for women does not command the spectator appeal and media attention of events such as track and field, swimming, and gymnastics. Consequently, there have been a limited number of investigations designed to describe the anthropometric and physiological characteristics of these athletes. Much of the work that has been done has remained unpublished. National team coaches and trainers from such countries as Federal Republic of Germany, German Democratic Republic, Sweden, Hungary, Canada, and the United States have done assessments as part of evaluations but in general, these data are unavailable. The purposes of this paper are to: (a) review the anthropometric and physiological data available on female Olympic-style kayakers; (b) present some unpublished evaluation data on U.S. paddlers, and (c) discuss the implications for application of anthropometric and physiological evaluations in canoe sport.