ORIGINAL ARTICLE  EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOMECHANICS 

The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 2018 September;58(9):1234-9

DOI: 10.23736/S0022-4707.17.07201-2

Copyright © 2017 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Predicting playing status in professional water polo players: analysis by gender

María H. VILA ¹ ✉, Carmen MANCHADO ², José A. ABRALDES ³, Carmen FERRAGUT ⁴

¹ Faculty of Education and Sport Science, University of Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain; ² Faculty of Education, University of Alicante, Comunidad Valenciana, Alicante, Spain; ³ Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain; ⁴ Faculty of Medicine, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was twofold: firstly, to identify the characteristics of water polo players that discriminate between women and men based on specific playing positions; and secondly to develop a predicting model to identify the characteristics that are best suited to a given playing position based on gender.
METHODS: The study included 130 professional water polo players. Anthropometric characteristics and throwing velocity were analyzed in different situations: no defender or goalkeeper, goalkeeper only and the players made three rapid arm movements and then threw the ball at maximum speed without further feinting with goalkeeper. Measured variables were compared according to gender and player position using discriminant analysis.
RESULTS: The predictive model accurately classifies 71.1% of the male players using three variables (arm span, muscle mass Lee and penalty without goalkeeper), and 64.7% of the female players using three variables (triceps skinfold, biceps skinfold and anteroposterior chest breadth).
CONCLUSIONS: The anthropometric characteristics and throwing velocity play an important role in identifying the different specific positions in male and female water polo players. In female players, the variables that were determinant in the predictive model, were those associated with body composition.

KEY WORDS: Discriminant analysis - Women - Water sports