Historical trends in the size of US Olympic female artistic gymnasts.
The lay press, scientists, and physicians appear to believe that gymnasts are continually getting smaller and that their "smallness" is a health risk.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the historical changes in the size and age of the US women's Olympic gymnastics teams from 1956 to 2008.


METHODS
The official records from the US Olympic Committee and USA Gymnastics of Olympic team members were assessed at 2 levels: individual height, mass, age, and body-mass index (BMI) and the team performance scores and rankings. Fourteen Olympic teams with a total of 106 team members, including the alternates, were included. Trend analyses were conducted using linear and polynomial models.


RESULTS
Simple linear correlations indicated that since 1956, height, mass, age, BMI, and team Olympic rank have been declining. However, second-order polynomial curve fits indicated that in the last 4 Olympic Games the members of the US women's gymnastics teams have been getting larger.


CONCLUSIONS
Women Olympic gymnasts were getting smaller through approximately the 1980s and early 1990s. Since then the size of these gymnasts has increased. The minimum-age rule modifications may have played a role in athlete size changes along with a shift from the near dominance of the former communist Eastern Bloc.
Dept of Exercise and Sport Science, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA.
William A
WA
Sands
Cindy
C
Slater
Jeni R
JR
McNeal
Steven Ross
SR
Murray
Michael H
MH
Stone
D000367:Age Factors; D000886:Anthropometry; D056352:Athletes / Q000266:history; D054874:Athletic Performance; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D049628:Body Size; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D006173:Gymnastics / Q000266:history / Q000639:trends*; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D012737:Sex Factors; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States