A relação entre o período de nascimento e a estatura de atletas olímpicos de voleibol

Abstract

The Relative Age concerns a possible performance advantage, a result of the physical difference that closer athletes born the beginning of the year have in relation to their peers born later. To this maturational differences that can lead to performance advantage among athletes gives the effect name of Relative Age (EIR). It is assumed that in the sport, this would be a significant variable in the selection of individuals having the teams a numerical predominance of athletes in the coming months from the beginning of the year. The aim of this study is to analyze the distribution of birth dates of volleyball athletes who participated in the Londres2012 Olympics. Therefore, had observed the existence of the EIR and to analyze the relationship between the period of birth and height of athletes. The total sample consists of 333 players, with 181 female athletes, mean age ± 28 years and 152 male athletes, mean age ± 30years. For statistical analysis we used the tests: Chi-square, ANOVA One Way, Kolmogorov-Sminov test and the Mann-Whitney test. There was no difference between the number of athletes who were born in the first quartile compared to athletes who were born in the last months of the year. Furthermore, there was no difference in mean height to indicate Effect of Relative Age.