Why Are Gymnasts So Short?

Working Hypothesis 1:

    Women gymnasts are all short due to the intense and specific training they experienced during puberty, which stunted their growth.

Working Hypothesis 2:

    Women gymnasts are all extremely short simply because they weed themselves out as they grow. Gymnasts that grow taller will quit the sport because their center of mass is greater than the shorter gymnasts, so the short gymnasts will succeed. 

Working Hypothesis 3: 

    Gymnastics should be competed all gender on the same events, but divided into classes by height as weight of the gymnasts.

Academic Sources:

1. 1. Historical Changes In Height, Mass, And Age Of USA Women’s Olympic Gymnastics Team: An Update

Sands, WA, et al. “Historical Changes in Height, Mass and Age of USA Women’s Olympic Gymnastics Team: An Update.” Science of Gymnastics Journal, 6 Nov. 2018.

    When we sit down to watch the summer olympics every four years, we look at all the athletes and their body types. For each sport there’s a certain advantage to having a certain body type. As for gymnasts their body types are all very short and have very low body mass. There are many questioning reasons as to why they have developed to be that way and how it benefits their sport. Some may consider their size unhealthy. But with their size comes the ability to skills one of average size could only imagine. The Science of Gymnastics Journal discusses the correlations of body size and the advantages it brings to the sport. Also that the larger you are the more muscle you need to move in the way gymnasts do. Since the sport of gymnastics relies on moving your own body weight, being smaller makes it a much simpler task. In other sports different body types bring them advantages too. Such as volleyball or basketball and how extreme height puts them at an advantage. Gymnastics is very competitive and the ones that end up competing in the olympics are of shorter stature. It could be suggested that the ones who were taller are not succeeding at the professional level and weed themselves out of the competition, and never seen in the Olympics. A study titled Updated Team Ranks Trends of the U.S Women’s Olympic Gymnastics Teams From 1956-2016 was completed on the Women’s Olympic Teams and collected their age, height (cm), mass (kg), BMI, and rank to see if the gymnasts were getting smaller as the years progressed. A total of sixteen teams were selected for the study with one-hundred and twenty three athletes. The results from the study showed that as the gymnasts became smaller their final ranking in the Olympic Games improved. This goes to support the idea that the athletes need to be smaller and lighter to complete their skills with precision. In the Science of Gymnastics Journal Malina states “that records of height in early childhood have shown that young females destined for gymnastics are small and light long before they are selected for training (Malina, 1996, 1999).” Certain body types are needed for certain sports in order to be professional and succeed such as the gymnasts we see in the olympics. I have begun to see sports from a different point of view that people quit and join different sports in order they find one they can succeed at, and they do one where their body type will be at an advantage for them. 

2. 2. Does Gymnastics Training Inhibit Growth of Females?

Caine, D. , Lewis, R. , O’Connor, P. , Howe, W. & Bass, S. (2001). Does Gymnastics Training Inhibit Growth of Females?. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 11 (4), 260-270.

    Gymnasts all start at many different ages, but most start at a young age. And they go through intense body training to improve their skill set to evolve into professional athletes. All gymnasts have a favored physique of being short and slender. Training for gymnasts is not seasonal, they intense training is all year round with little to no breaks. According to the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine “During the periadolescent years, top-level female gymnasts may train 24-36 hours per week, 4-6 hours per day, and up to 12 months per year.” Many factors that go along with the intense trading could factor to their petite size due to late maturation. Male nutrition for the amount of activity the young gymnasts are doing could play a role in decreasing their body size. Also in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine suggests that the amount of strain on the gymnast’ s body may result in premature femoral and tibial epiphyseal fusion, which will cause decreased leg growth. In a study titled “Does Gymnastics Training Inhibit Growth of Females?” A search through MedLine from 1966 to present was conducted searching for “gymnastics” with “growth’’, “maturation”, “body height”, “body weight”, and “growth plate”. Results were found in different reports. Auxological studies were performed which are the studies of growth. Within the 3 case reports, 18 cross-sectionals, and 14 cohort studies results investigated potential relations between the growth of gymnasts and their training. They concluded that during their intense years of training they experienced stunted growth which was then followed by a “catch-up” growth during periods of reduced trading or retirement from gymnastics. One study suggested a strong link between a poor diet with growth disturbance. There is the possibility that their growth will return in a later period, but those who evolve into professional athletes never experience a decrease in training so they can never have a catch up period and will always remain on the short side. 

3. 3.  “Short Stature and Delayed Puberty in Gymnasts: Influence of Selection Bias on Leg Length and the Duration of Training on Trunk Length” 

    In the study “Short Stature and Delayed Puberty in Gymnasts: Influence of Selection Bias on Leg Length and the Duration of Training on Trunk Length” the sitting height and leg length were measured in 83 active female gymnasts, 42 retired gymnasts, and 154 control subjects. The results showed that the active gymnasts had delayed bone age which caused reduced height standing and sitting and shorter leg length. The repetitive exercise gymnasts go through causes effects on skeletal growth and bone development as it is affecting hormonal cycles. Due to their slender physique they are also having a reduced calorie intake which results in delayed and decreased bone development. 

4. 4. Role of Intensive Training in the Growth and Maturation of Artistic Gymnasts 

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-013-0058-5b

    Short women gymnasts go through different training than any other athlete, and it might have an influence on their growth and maturity. From a young age of 8 to 18 they are going through heavy and consistent training while they are also going through puberty. The training gymnasts also go through will increase with age and with level of competition. Types of training gymnasts will go as stated in the article “Role of Intensive Training in the Growth and maturation of Artistic Gymnasts” are “warm-up, stretching, strength trading, instruction and repetition of specific skills and rerouting s, rest between repetitions, dance and choreography, and others.” This intensive training also will affect the endocrine changes of a maturing adolescent gymnast. In the study it showed imbalances within young females and certain growth hormones were in low ranges. 

5. 5. Adolescent Growth Spurts in Female Gymnasts 

https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezproxy.rowan.edu/science/article/pii/S0022347604009242

    All athletes have body types to benefit them and go through certain steps and training to obtain that preferred body type. For women gymnasts it’s short stature. As gymnasts develop they do not grow at the rate or time period as a non athletic woman. A study was performed to evaluate the height and sitting height of 15 Belgian gymnasts. The results showed that they will experience growth spurts 1 year later and less intense than a non athletic adolescent girl. But gymnasts can start out on the shorter side and genetics will play a role too, if they have shorter parents. In The Journal of Pediatrics it was mentioned that Gymnasts will go through puberty but advance past the intense growth spurts.

6. Examination of Gender Equity and Female Participation in Sport

“Examination of Gender Equity and Female Participation in Sport.” The Sport Journal, 29 Feb. 2016. 

This journal provides information regarding women’s evolution of sports. It discusses the challenges they face and the changes that have been made and are being made. The journal discusses equity in coed sports as well. The journal gives reasons as to why women may face so many struggles pertaining to gender equity in sports, and gives recommendations for future research about women’s equity and participation within sports. 

2. 7. Classification in Sport: A Question of Fairness 

S;, Loland. “Classification in Sport: A Question of Fairness.” European Journal of Sport Science, U.S. National Library of Medicine. 

This journal of sport science suggests what is considered fair and what is not considered fair within sports. It discusses the development of the ancient Olympic Games from how they started and to where they are now. Originally only Greek men were allowed to play within the games, now women, men, children, able-bodied, and disabled persons are allowed to compete. With all these different groups competing in the games this journal discusses what is fair for all. This journal also suggests that sex classes can be replaces by body size classes. 

3. 7. Why are Men and Women Gymnasts Have Different Events 

LaTour, Amée. “Why Are Men’s & Women’s Gymnastics Events Different? Look to the Skills They Emphasize.” Bustle, Bustle, 10 Aug. 2016. 

Gymnastics has been divided into separate male and female sports. They have different events have different rules and regulations for these events. For example females will use music during their floor exercise routines and add jumps, leaps, turns, and dance moves. While for men when they compete on the floor exercise they strictly are focused on the tumbling. Another reason for the separate of gymnastics is because men use a lot of upper body and hand strength that typically most females can not achieve. While females have the elegance and balance and also power to complete their skills, where men can struggle in some of those areas. But the training the female gymnasts go through nowadays they can achieve more upper and lower body strength that could put them in a scenario where they can hold themselves up on the rings and compete.

This article by Bustle is about the differences between men’s gymnastics and women’s gymnastics. The article discusses why men compete in different events due to their upper body strength being greater than women. Women’s events consist of vault, floor exercise, balance beam, and uneven bars. While men’s events consist of pommel horse, vault, floor exercise, parallel bar, high bar, and still rings. All the events do consider a lot of strength, coordination, balance, and stamina. In the article it explains that women carry most of their strength in their lower bodies. But it is possible that women can match the same upper body strength as a man with the correct training. 

Quotes:

• “But these reasons ring less valid today, with female gymnasts probably plenty capable of matching upper and lower body strength, and with the loosening of gender norms.’’ 

4. 8. Trans Women Athletes Have Unfair Advantages Over Those Born Female: Testosterone 

Spitznagel, Eric. “Trans Women Athletes Have Unfair Advantage over Those Born Female: Testosterone.” New York Post, New York Post, 22 July 2021.

This article by New York Post discusses the story of 43 year old transgender weight lifter Laurel Hubbard. Her story discusses how her success competing as a woman with other women was greater than her successes when she was competing as a man with other men. In the article they mention how people are not pleased with these rules and don’t approve of her successes. In the article it discusses men that transition to women still have the biological make up and chemicals as a man, making them stronger and more powerful. That they have a “testosterone advantage”. Also discussing how some trans women will lose no muscle mass during the transition keeping them just as strong. 

9. Why The 2016 Rio Olympic Gymnasts’ Bodies Are So Much More Muscular

 “Why the 2016 Rio Olympic Gymnasts’ Bodies Are So Much More Muscular” Evolution of a sport. Men’s Journal. (n.d.). Retrieved April 19, 2022. 

This article from Men’s Journal discusses the evolution of strength training in Olympic gymnasts. Also why when we turn on the Olympics in 2016 the gymnasts looked a lot more muscular and toned. Male gymnasts are also beginning to include more strength elements within their routines to increase their potential score, especially on the rings. The skills in the 1984 olympic gymnast games compared to now are also a lot different, and a lot more complex. With the more complex skills requires more stamina and strength to execute them with precision. In the article they also discuss how coaches are bringing to look out to strength coaches for assistance in training their athletes to exercises that are not gymnastics body weight. 

10. “Opinion | The Key Question Raised By Lia Thomas’s Swimming Success: What is the Purpose of Women’s Sports?”

McArdle, Megan. “Opinion | the Key Question Raised by Lia Thomas’s Swimming Success: What Is the Purpose of Women’s Sports?” The Washington Post, WP Company, 23 Mar. 2022.

This article by The Washington Post discusses Lia Thomas’s journey as a transgender Olympic swimmer. And discusses her unfair advantage as competing in a women category and is ranked #1 as a female but #462 as a male. They discuss the biological advantages she has as a swimmer that she developed when she went through male puberty such as height, heart and lung capacity, and strength. This puts her at an advantage, while if categories were not by gender she would be put at a level playing field with her height and weight. 

11. 2020- 2021 Women’s Program Rules and Policies

2020 – 2021 Women’s Program Rules and Policies. 

This is the Women’s gymnastic programs rules and policies. This is for USA gymnastics and is sanctioned by the National Women’s Program Committee. Within this program there are rules for gymnastic meets, scoring, events, judging, and awards. There are also policies for gymnasts regarding age, mobility, and entry requirements. 

12. International Olympic Committee Issues New Guidelines on Transgender Athletes

NBCUniversal News Group. (2021, November 17). International Olympic Committee issues new guidelines on transgender athletes. NBCNews.com. Retrieved April 26, 2022.

This article from NBC News was about the recent changes in the International Olympic Committee regarding transgender athletes. The athletes will no longer need to undergo “medically unnecessary” hormone treatments to compete. They stated that athletes do not have an inherent advantage, and will not move them away from eligibility criteria. Also the testing they would undergo invades privacy and is harmful and a suit to the athletes. 

Topics For Smaller Papers:

1. Intensity of training for women Gymnasts
2. How center of mass benefits women gymnasts
3. Effects of malnutrition on women gymnasts 
4. Difficulty larger competitive gymnasts face 
5. The physics of gymnastics 

Current State of the Research Paper: 

    My current state of my research paper is that I feel like I am slowly progressing and starting to see a small light at the end of the tunnel, which is the finished project. I know I have a long way to go but final starting has made me feel a lot more confident about completing such a large task. Finding research and reading about this has been so fun and interesting for me and I have caught myself on many fun tangents to learn more about this topic. I am still struggling about the side I am taking and what I will do with it. With my topic of why gymnasts happen to be so short, I go back and forth between my own beliefs. Which is that they simply weed themselves out of the short because taller gymnasts are not at an advantage, and the idea that intense training at a young age delayed their maturation. I also believe that my topic is simply not counterintuitive, I want my hypothesis to be out of the box something no one has thought of, but I think most people can assume my two ideas that I have now. I am a very factual and scientific person and I think about realistic ideas so I am struggling thinking about it in a counterintuitive way. I feel that my research has benefited me with my ideas but has not helped in a way of sparking an out of the box idea.