DERMATOGLYPHIC AND SOMATOTYPIC PROFILE OF HIGH PERFORMANCE CYCLISTS OF BRAZIL

Abstract

The first cycling competitions arose in 1868, with cycling participating in the first Olympic Games of the Modern Era, in 1896, in Greece. Since then, this sport has not ceased to develop, following the International Cycling Union, the normative organ of cycling competitions throughout the world. Among the various cycling modalities, we emphasize road cycling as the focus of our study, through its practitioners. The current study aims to identify the dermatoglyphic and somatotypic profile of road cycling athletes, of the male sex, in the elite category, of high performance in Brazil For this purpose a sample of 18 cyclists, who compose the two best teams in national ranking and two professional cyclists taking part in the European Circuit, was formed. The protocols used for this enquiry were: Somatotype (Heath & Carter, 1990) and Dermatogliphy (Cummins & Midlo, 1942). The sample was: 26,8 ± 3,9 years of age, body weight 70,1 ± 6,2 Kg and stature 176,6 ± 5,8 cm; regarding the dermatoglyphic characteristics: arch (A) = 10%, loop (L) = 62%, verticil (W) = 28%, sum total of total number of lines (SQTL) = 114,8 ± 38,21 and the delta indice (D10) = 11,8 ± 3,43; and regarding the components of the somatotype, the values found were: endomorphy 2,2 ± 0,8, mesomorphy 4,7 ± 1,0 and ectomorphy 2,6 ± 0,9, characterizing the group as balanced mesomorphic. The practical applicability of dermatoglyphy and of somatotypy could help the evolution of the sport to excellence.