BMI and Heath-Carter somatotypes of female students in Ljubljana

Measurements of 22 anthropometric and two spirometric variables were taken from 86 healthy female students of the University of Ljubljana who were not actively engaged in sports. The BMI and Heath-Carter somatotypes were calc ulated according to the anthropometric method. The average value of FEVC (F orced Expiratory Vital Capacity) amounted to 4.2 liters, and that of FEV 1 (Forced Expiratory Volume 1) to 3.7 liters and they exceeded the European s tandards for the corresponding age and height. Central and mesomorph-endomo rph somatotypes predominated, and the majority of students were classified into the second group of BMI with a normal body weight. The values of FEVC, FEV 1 and the Tiffeneau index increased in line with the ectomorphic compo nent. No differences in the average FEVC and FEV 1 were found between BMI g roups. The Tiffeneau index increased from the third to the first group. It was concluded that the ventilation measures were higher in ectomorphic stud ents, who actually exhaled values that exceeded the requirements of standar ds the least of all groups. Due to rare statistically significant differenc es in FEVC and FEV 1 between somatotypes and BMI groups it would be necessa ry to repeat the analysis on a larger sample. There also appeared to be a n eed for new Slovenian standards.