Studies of the role of various anthropometric, physiological, and biomechanical variables in performance of rapid movements have generally revealed inconsistent findings. Within this study, we tested the hypotheses that (a) both body composition and leg extensor strength variables would reveal significant relationship with jumping performance, whereas (b) the same relationships would be stronger in physically active nonathletes than in the elite athletes proficient in vertical jumping. Top-level female volleyball players (VP; N = 35) and physically active female nonathletes (PA; N = 21) were tested on maximum vertical jumps performed with and without arm swing, as well as on body composition (percent fat and muscle) and leg press strength (maximum force and the rate of force development). The results revealed significant relationships between the jumping performance and body composition variables that appeared to be higher in PA (r = 0.65-0.76; all p < 0.01) than in VP (r = 0.37-0.42; all p ≤ 0.05). The relationships between the jumping performance and the leg strength variables were mainly significant (r = 0.23-0.68) and similar in 2 groups. We conclude that not only the leg extensor strength but also the body composition variables could be valid predictors of jumping performance and, possibly, other rapid movements. Moreover, the body composition variables that have been mainly neglected in the literature could be particularly strong predictors of performance of jumping in nonathletes, as compared with relatively homogeneous populations of elite athletes.

BANKOVIC, V.; DOPSAJ, M.; TERZIC, Z. & NESIC, G. Descriptive body composition profile in female olympic volleyball medalists defined using multichannel bioimpedance measurement: Rio 2016 team case study. Int. J. Morphol., 36(2): [699][700][701][702][703][704][705][706][707][708] 2018. SUMMARY:The subject of this paper was the study of the morphological status of top elite women volleyball players, Rio 2016 Olympic medal winners, with the aim of obtaining reliable quantitative data, used to determine the morphological model and to control the morphological status of top elite women volleyball players. This study tested 12 top elite women volleyball players who participated in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and won the silver medal. Measurements of body composition were conducted one day before departing for the Rio Olympic Games, on 25th June, 2016, using electrical bioimpendance analysis (BIA), with the InBody 720 Tetrapolar 8-Point Tactile Electrode System analyzer. The study included 29 variables: 17 original variables, four voluminosity-dependent variables, six longitudinality-dependent variables, and two combined index variables. The results showed that average height of the women players was 188.93±6.49 cm, the overall mean BM value for the Serbian team was 75.56±6.97, the overall mean BMI value for the team was 21.08±1.30 kg•m -2 , while the mean values for percent skeletal muscles and body mass were 48.95±1.78 % and 13.43±2.70 %, respectively. Upon a thorough analysis of the results of the study, it can be argued that in all measured anthropomorphological characteristics the top elite women volleyball players from the tested sample had a body type of remarkable basic longitudinality, i.e., BH, and a body composition mainly characterized by very high muscle mass but such a low amount of body fat that it bordered on the biological minimum for women. KEY WORDS: Bioelectrical impedance; Female athletes; Volleyball; Body composition. BANKOVIC, V.; DOPSAJ, M.; TERZIC, Z. & NESIC, G. Descriptive body composition profile in female olympic volleyball medalists defined using multichannel bioimpedance measurement: Rio 2016 team case study. Int. J. Morphol., 36(2):699-708, 2018. BANKOVIC, V.; DOPSAJ, M.; TERZIC, Z. & NESIC, G. Descriptive body composition profile in female olympic volleyball medalists defined using multichannel bioimpedance measurement: Rio 2016 team case study. Int. J. Morphol., 36(2):699-708, 2018. BANKOVIC, V.; DOPSAJ, M.; TERZIC, Z. & NESIC, G. Descriptive body composition profile in female olympic volleyball medalists defined using multichannel bioimpedance measurement: Rio 2016 team case study. Int. J. Morphol., 36(2):699-708, 2018. BANKOVIC, V.; DOPSAJ, M.; TERZIC, Z. & NESIC, G. Descriptive body composition profile in female olympic volleyball medalists defined using multichannel bioimpedance measurement: Rio 2016 team case study. Int. J. Morphol., 36(2):699-708, 2018.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of different training surfaces (hard or sand surface) on agility and passing skills of prepubescent female volleyball players. 45 prepubescent girls (age: 11.1 ± 0.5 years) participated in this study and were separated in three groups. Groups S (N=15) and I (N=15) consisted of volleyball players, while group C (N=15) consisted of girls that had no volleyball training experience. All groups participated in a 10-week (3 days/week) volleyball training program that included technical and passing skills exercises. The program of groups S and I also included jumping and sprinting exercises. The training program of group S was conducted on sand surface, while groups I and C trained on hard surface. Measurements of agility (T-test and 505-test) and passing skills were conducted on both hard and sand surface before, in the middle (5 th week) and after the end of the training program for groups S and I. Group C was tested only on hard surface before and after the training period. Data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA for independent samples. Agility T-test and 505-test were significantly (p<0.001) improved in all three groups after the 10-week training program. Agility improvement of group S was significantly (p<0.001) greater than the other two groups (I and C), regardless of the surface (hard or sand) that the test was executed. Group S achieved greater improvements than the other two groups in passing skills too. All three groups were significantly (p<0.001) improved in overhead and forearm passing accuracy after the 10-week training period, but it was group S that achieved the greatest improvement, regardless of the (hard or sand) that the test was executed. In conclusion training on sand surface could be a useful and effective tool for improving agility and passing skills in prepubescent female volleyball players.

BackgroundAdequate leg extensors preparation is highly important especially in volleyball which involve several jumping techniques. Values of developed force in the function of time generated during the isometric (static) muscle contraction, with it's own F-t curve characteristics are the fundamental data on contractile ability.ObjectiveFactor structure differences of indicators for evaluating isometric leg extensors explosive force (RFDLEGEXTISO) regarding different trained female population will be examined in this research.Setting and participantsSample included 50 examinees: top level female volleyball players (Elite N=20), unspecific trained female athletes (Nonspec N=18) and untrained female (Control N=12).MethodsIn order to assess characteristics of the F-t isometric leg extensors force, tensiometric probe and standardized ‘seating leg extension’ test were used. The measurement range was defined by 11 variables regarding the contractile characteristics of the leg extensors isometric muscle force at the level of 100, 50, 30, 50–100% of maximal force (FmaxLEGEXTISO): rate of force development (RFD) analysed from the aspect of absolute and relative (allometric) values – the indicators of basic (RFDBASICLEGEXTISO, RFDallomLEGEXTISO), specific (RFD50%LEGEXTISO, RFDallomLEGEXTISO50%), special (RFD30%LEGEXTISO, RFDallomLEGEXTISO30%), at 50–100% (RFD50–100%LEGEXTISO) level of RFD, Synergy Index as a criterion of relation between RFDLEGEXTISO and FmaxLEGEXTISO at the basic level of 100% – IndexSNGBASIC, specific level of 50% – IndexSNGSPEC and special level of 30% – IndexSNGSPECIJ.ResultsFactor analysis set apart two factors in all the observed groups, which have explained 96.491% in Elite, 95.502% in Nonspec, 96.512% in Control of valid variance. The differences in structure and in number of parameters for separated factors were established especially between tested trained and untrained population. They can be explained with differences in muscle tissue and maximal nervous activation of muscles during the specific training, that is, adaptation to specific training.ConclusionsThe obtained results can possibly be used as an indicator of potential of leg explosiveness and jumping performances in volleyball players selection.

Physical abilities modelling has a profound connection with long-term athlete development and talent identification. There is not enough data to support evidence about age-related changes in volleyball players’ isometric strength. This study aimed to define the age-related model of volleyball players multidimensional muscles’ contractile characteristics. The participants were divided according to gender (male n = 112, female n = 371) and according to age into four groups: under 15 (U15), under 17 (U17), under 19 (U19), and under 21 (U21) years old. Participants performed three isometric strength tests: handgrip, lumbar extensors, and ankle extensors. Maximal force and rate of force development results from all three tests were transformed into a single Score value as a representation of contractile potentials using principal component analysis. The main findings were that Score values of both genders showed significant differences between age groups (male: F = 53.17, p < 0.001; Female: F = 41.61, p < 0.001). Trends of those yearly changes were slightly more balanced for female subjects (3.9%) compared to male subjects (6.3%). These findings could help in strength training adjustments when working with volleyball players of a certain age, and enable coaches to detect ones that stand out positively, considering them as strong in regard to their age.