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

Abstract

This study found evidence that 2D:4D was a correlate of performance in an open-skill sport. Female players with lower digit ratios tended to perform better in several aspects of basketball, especially defensively, and were more likely to be starters, suggesting they are the best players on the team in their positions. These results probably reflect the organizational benefits of prenatal testosterone.

The Relationship Between Physical Fitness Qualities and Sport-Specific Technical Skills in Female, Team-Based Ball Players: A Systematic Review

“…Research in handball [54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67][68] was the most frequently included teambased, ball sport followed by volleyball [69][70][71][72][73][74][75][76][77][78][79][80]. Other sports investigated included soccer [81][82][83][84][85][86], basketball [87][88][89][90], netball [91,92], lacrosse [93], and softball [94]. Female participant sample sizes ranged from 10 to 246, with ball players involved in varied competitions from non-elite (15 studies, 37%) to elite/national game-play level (26 studies, 63%).…”

“…Seven (58%) studies focused on volleyball offensive technical skills, such as spike jump and serve [70,72,73,75,77,79,80]. Four (33%) studies investigated basketball offensive technical skills, including assists and points [87][88][89][90], with the remaining study examining successful netball catches and passes [92]. One (8%) study was considered to have high ROB [70].…”

“…Eight studies investigated associations between defensive sport-specific technical skills and physical fitness attributes. Four (50%) studies focused on basketball defensive skills, such as rebounds and steals [87][88][89][90], whereas three (38%) studies examined volleyball defensive skills, such as block jump and reception [75,77,79]. One (13%) study investigated defensive time in a gameperformance handball skill test [68].…”

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, ).…”

“…Closed‐skill sports require athletes to initiate the action and perform in stable, predictable, and self‐paced environments (eg, golf, running, swimming), whereas open‐skill sports require athletes to react to a stimulus and perform in unstable, unpredictable, and externally paced environments (eg, basketball, hockey, football) (Wang et al, ). Three studies have examined the relationship between 2D:4D and basketball performance (Dyer et al, ; Frick et al, ; Tester & Campbell, ). Tester and Campbell () reported a moderate negative relationship between 2D:4D and the highest competitive standard attained in 155 university students who played basketball, football, and rugby.…”