El somatotipo de la voleibolista cubana de alto nivel de actuación: período 1992-2000

The specific aim of this study was twofold: first to establish reference data for team and game roles somatotype in Cuban female volleybal players, and to compare the characteristics among game roles. Forty three athletes were measured according to the Heath-Carter anthropometric somatotype method. The subjects had been playing volleyball for 10.9 years, on average and they were considered the base of the national preselections during the three Olympic Cycles (1988-1992, 1992-1996 and 1996-2000). They were divided into three groups: Centers, Spikers and Setters. Their average somatotype was, respectively: 2.8-3.2-3.5, 2.3-3.4-3.2 and 3.2-3.9-2.2. The somatotype was significantly different in players in different roles (p≤0.05). Setters were less homogeneous than those of other roles. Of the thirteen categories of somatotypes described, Cuban volleybal players showed eleven. Mesomphic-ectomorphic, balancedectomorphs, balanced-mesomorphs and ectomorphic-mesomorph were the most dominant categories.