Q: I have heard many debates about body structure in tennis players. What does the research say about this topic?

A: Few studies have been conducted to examine the body structure and characteristics of tennis players. One study examined the profiles of elite junior tennis players comparing body structure and physiological profiles.

The structural yardsticks were basic body measurements while the physiological assessments included skin fold measurements to estimate body fat percentage, maximal aerobic capacity, agility, abdominal endurance, grip strength and flexibility. The authors found no significant differences between young boys and girls except body fat, where the girls were noted to have a higher level.

Both boys and girls were seen to have significantly higher grip strength in the preferred hand than in the nonpreferred hand. Similar findings were noted by Bloomfield et al., who compared preadolescent swimmers, tennis players and noncompetitors. The competitive athletes did not differ from the noncompetitors except that the swimmers were observed to have superior leg extension strength, physical exercise capacity and forced vital capacity. No particular differences were seen that would separate the young tennis players from the other youths.

Powers and Walker found contradictory results in the adolescent female tennis players they studied, implying that some characteristics unique to tennis players may be developed in the postpubescent years. Analyzing criteria similar to that in the previously mentioned studies, these investigators found that female tennis players had higher maximal oxygen uptakes and higher grip strengths in the preferred hand than the general population of adolescent girls.

Buono et al. examined the maximal oxygen uptake and body composition of collegiate male tennis players. They found relatively high maximal oxygen uptakes and low body fat percentage (mean 10.4 percent ± 3.2 percent), indicating that skilled tennis players have excellent cardiovascular endurance. This supports the findings of Powers and Walker. It seems obvious that further research is necessary to truly understand the profile of a tennis player.

Little research has been done to determine the effects of playing tennis on physical development. One study by Chinn et al. examined 83 elite male and female tennis players to determine the effects of the sport on one upper extremity. By analyzing the movement patterns of a skilled service motion, these scientists made several observations of the mechanisms responsible for such phenomena to occur.

The primary mechanism is simply that tennis is a unilateral sport requiring a strong grip, a stronger forearm, and probably causing inflexibilities in the shoulder and elbow. These authors concluded that more work is required in this area to analyze unilateral sport activities. This conclusion still seems warranted since little has been done to continue research in this area.

As we continue to study player development through a database that tracks players throughout their training years, we will constantly keep learning. Currently, however, science cannot predict a body structure that would be more conclusive to a tennis athlete. Instead, we must continue to learn and develop improved training programs for children and adults as we learn more about the role of tennis and the human body.

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