The Connection Between Certain Morphological Parameters and Results in Goalball Players

Certain studies in sports for people with disabilities, also research the morphological characteristics of athletes. However, when it comes to goalball, sport for the people with visual impairments, the focus of researchers is on the population of children and adolescents and the impact of the aforementioned sport on the morphological characteristics that are observed in the process of growth and development. Amongst the population of adults with visual impairment who take part in Goalball, there are almost no studies that deal with the issue of morphological space, especially those that would point towards defining the morphological profile of elite goalball players. The subject of this research are the morphological characteristics of adult goalball players (athletes), and the aim is to determine whether there is a correlation between certain morphological indicators which indicate the status of the body mass of athletes and competition results achieved between goalball teams. The total sample consisted of 22 adult male goalball players, participants of the regional tournament. Morphological space variables, body height, body weight, waist circumference, hip circumference, body fat percentage and muscle tissue percentage were tested and body mass index value as well as the ratio of waist and hip was calculated. Based on the analyzed results, it is concluded that the body height is important in defining the morphological profile of goalball players. In addition to the body height, the indicators pointing to the nutritional status may be taken into account when defining the morphological profile of goalball players (body fat percentage, muscle tissue percentage but also body mass index). Correlation analysis indicated a correlating relationship of the waist and hips with the ranking achievement of the team, which indicates the importance of the body fat distribution in the defining of the morphological profile of goalball players.