Abstract

Body types of 86 male and 109 female Chinese elite handball players were measured with the Heath-Carter method. Results show that (1) the mean somatotype of Chinese elite male handball players is 3.23-6.50-2.90 and the better the performance of a team, the higher the mesodermal ratio. It seems to suggest that the ideal somatotype for male handball players should be muscular, strong and tall; (2) the mean somatotype of Chinese elite female handball players is 5.06-3.47-2.88 and both the innerderm and mesoderm are dominant, especially in the case of those teams at a high level of performance. This seems to suggest that the ideal somatotype for female handball players should be higher in lank body mass but with adequate adipose tissue. Verf.-Referat