Morphological and performance characteristics as drop-out indicators in female gymnasts

Background. Aim of this study was to investigate if morphological and perfo rmance characteristics are significant indicators to predict drop-out in fe male gymnasts. Methods. Experimental design: comparative investigation between two groups of female gymnasts at the start of a 3-year follow-up period. Setting: part icipants of the study came from two gymnastic clubs from the Antwerp region in Flanders, Belgium. Participants: in total, 81 female competitive gymnas ts (mean age: 10.5 +/- 2.6 years) were investigated, of which 46 were conti nuing gymnasts, while 35 dropped-out from the sport during the following 3 years. Measures: included were a large battery of anthropometric characteri stics, skeletal maturation, physical fitness tests, and gymnastic-specific strength and flexibility tests. Differences between the two groups were ana lysed by means of the t-test and analysis of co-variance with chronological age as the co-variate. Results. Compared to the gymnasts, the drop-outs were significant (p < 0.01 ) older (11.3 and 9.7 years respectively), more mature (skeletal ages are 1 0.6 and 9.4 years respectively), taller (143.5 cm and 135.2 cm respectively ), and heavier (36.0 kg and 29.4 kg respectively). Also for almost all othe r anthropometric dimensions, gymnasts were significantly (p < 0.01) smaller than the drop-outs, except for the biceps, triceps, medial calf, and thigh skinfolds. Concerning the fitness and gymnastic-specific test characterist ics, the drop-outs performed also significantly (p < 0.01) better than the continuing gymnasts. The ANCOVA-analysis, however, revealed that it was mai nly the age factor that distinguished both groups. After controlling for ch ronological age, no differences between both groups could be demonstrated f or almost all anthropometric and performance characteristics with the excep tion for upperarm circumference flexed, calf circumference, and biceps skin fold. For these variables, drop-outs showed still significant (p < 0.05) hi gher values compared to the gymnast's group. Conclusions. Based on these findings, it is concluded that factors related to the physical make-up and performance capacities of our gymnasts under st udy are minor indicators for the withdrawal from competitive gymnastics, an d it is hypothesized that the social and psychological factors associated w ith the older age of the drop-out girls are presumably more important.