Morphological characteristics of powerlifters that participated in the XXIII Brazilian powerliftiers championship

Abstract

Participated in the XXIII Brazilian Championship of Powerlifting held in Brusque, Santa Catarina. Fifty-one athletes (38 men and 13 women) of different age groups participated in anthropometric measuring of skinfolds (DC), body circumferences (PC), bone diameters, body mass (MC) and stature. Body composition was defined by the two-component model. The athletes were measured either one or two days before the competition, all of them were volunteers and they represented various Brazilian regions. They had been classified in selective competitions in their home states. Results pointed out that muscle mass was smaller than that observed in international weightlifters, while their body fat levels were higher. Among female athletes, body fat was more prominent in the extremities, especially in the lower limbs. The male athletes presented an even distribution of body fat in extremities and trunk. In conclusion, Brazilian powerlifters presented values of body components that diverge from their international counterparts, particularly for DC and PC as a function of age range.