CHARACTERISTICS OF PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT IN ADOLESCENTS INVOLVED IN WATER SPORTS

Aim. To investigate the physical development (PD) of adolescent athletes participating in water sports. Materials and methods. Three groups of adolescents were examined: the first group consisted of athletes from team sports (n = 46, water polo); the second group included athletes from cyclic sports (n = 48, middle-distance swimmers); and the third group comprised 44 non-athletes (control). Anthropometric measurements were used to calculate mean group values for body length, body weight, chest circumference, and related indices. Qualitative assessment was based on the level of physical development, the corresponding centile range, harmony, and weight-height indices. Results. Statistically significant differences were found in terms of the mean group values for body length and weight. The results obtained among water polo players exceeded those obtained among swimmers and non-athletes. The chest circumference of athletes was significantly higher than that of non-athletes. No significant differences were observed between swimmers and water polo players. Among water polo players, the number of athletes with an average or above-average level of physical development was significantly greater compared to swimmers and nonathletes. According to centile estimates, 90.9% of adolescents in the control group had harmonious development. This indicator was lower in the group of athletes as a result of a discrepancy with body length (higher body weight and chest circumference). The Verweck index showed the predominance of mesomorphic body types in all groups, and the Pignet index demonstrated the predominance of the so-called "strong" and "average" body types in athletes and "weak" body types in non-athletes. The paper addresses the challenges in assessing the risk factors of children and adolescents that researchers face. Conclusion. The results obtained show the characteristics of physical development among adolescents engaged in water sports, thereby emphasizing the necessity of establishing physical development standards. These standards are crucial for morphologists, physiologists, coaches, pediatricians, and other professionals in the field of public health.