Ratio of second to fourth digit as a predictor of performance in elite Indian volley ball players

Abstract

Background: Digit ratio (2D:4D) is considered as a marker of prenatal androgen exposure. There are evidences showing association between sporting ability and 2D:4D ratio. Aims & Objective: To determine the ratio of second to fourth digit in elite Indian volley ball players and compare them with controls. Materials and Methods: Both right and left hands of 16 male volley ball players attending training camp at the Bangalore regional centre of Sports Authority of India were scanned. Lengths of second and fourth digits were measured and their ratio calculated. The values were compared with Age & BMI matched subjects (25 males) who did not participate in any sports who formed the control group. Results: A highly significant difference was found in 2D:4D ratios of both the hands with volley ball players having a lower ratio compared to their controls. There was no statistically significant difference in 2D:4D (Δ r-l) between volley ball players and controls. Conclusion: Lower second to fourth digit ratios was found in volley ball players in comparison with the controls.

Relationships between the second to fourth digit ratio (2D:4D) and game‐related statistics in semi‐professional female basketball players

“…The overall relationship between 2D:4D and sports/athletic performance was weak and negative, indicating that athletes with lower 2D:4Ds performed better (Hönekopp & Schuster, ). While most of the studies analyzed by Hönekopp and Schuster () considered individual disciplines, subsequent studies on team sports such as American football (Schorer, Rienhoff, Westphal, & Baker, ), volleyball (Panda, Majumdar, Umesh, & Sudhakar, ), and basketball (Frick, Hull, Manning, & Tomkinson ), showed similar results. Relative to males, much less is known about the 2D:4D‐performance relationship in females.…”

“…Open‐skill sports athletes perform better than closed‐skill sports athletes in cognitively demanding tasks (Mann, Williams, Ward, & Janelle, ; Voss, Kramer, Basak, Prakash, & Roberts, ), the likely result of greater variability in visual attention, decision‐making, and action execution (Taddei, Bultrini, Spinelli, & Di Russo, ). Meaningful relationships between 2D:4D and open‐skill sports performance have been observed in males (Frick et al, ; Panda et al, ; Schorer et al, ), however, little is known about this relationship in females.…”

Relationships between the digit ratio (2D:4D) and game‐related statistics in professional and semi‐professional male basketball players

“…2D:4D has consistently been shown to be a negative correlate of sports performance, athletic performance and physical fitness; individuals with low 2D:4Ds are more likely to perform better than individuals with high 2D:4Ds (Dyer, Short, Short, Manning & Tomkinson, ; Frick, Hull, Manning & Tomkinson, ; Hönekopp & Schuster, ; Hull, Schranz, Manning & Tomkinson, ; Manning & Taylor, ; Tomkinson & Tomkinson, ). This relationship was first demonstrated in English professional football (soccer) players by Manning and Taylor () and subsequently across a range of sports including (but not limited to) American football (gridiron) (Schorer, Rienhoff, Westphal & Baker, ), basketball (Dyer et al, ; Frick et al, ), cross‐country running (Manning, Morris & Caswell, ), fencing (Voracek, Reimer & Dressler, ), handball (Baker et al, ), kabaddi (an Indian contact sport) (Sudhakar, Majumdar, Umesh & Panda, ), rowing (Hull et al, ), rugby (Bennett, Manning, Cook & Kilduff, ), sprinting (Manning & Hill, ), slalom skiing (Manning, ), sumo wrestling (Tamiya, Lee & Ohtake, ), surfing (Kilduff, Cook & Manning, ), swimming (Perciavalle, Corrado, Scuto, Perciavalle, & Coco, ), tennis (Hsu et al, ), and volleyball (Panda, Majumdar, Umesh & Sudhakar, ).…”

Relationships between digit ratio (2D:4D) and basketball performance in Australian men

“…In a meta‐analysis of 25 studies, Hönekopp and Schuster () reported that the overall relationship between 2D:4D and sporting performance was negative and small ( r = −0.26, P < 0.001) indicating that athletes with a lower 2D:4D perform better athletically. Many of the studies reviewed by Hönekopp and Schuster () examined the 2D:4D‐performance link in individual sports, with subsequent studies linking 2D:4D to team sports performance showing similar relationships (Panda et al, ; Schorer et al, ; Sudhakar et al, ). Of these studies, nearly all of the attention has been on field‐based team sports performance (e.g., soccer and rugby), with little known about the links between 2D:4D and court‐based team sports performance.…”