Comparative study of anthropometric measurement and body composition between basketball players from different competitive levels: elite and sub-elite

Background and Study Aim: The purpose of this study was to describe anthropometric characteristics and body composition of basketball players from two competitive levels, elite and sub-elite as well as to make a comparison between them. Material and Methods: Fifty-seven male subjects were enrolled in this study, divided into three groups: fourteen elite basketball players, twelve sub-elite basketball players and thirty-one healthy sedentary subjects (subjects from general population). All subjects were assessed for anthropometric measures required for the calculation of body composition variables, using standardized procedures recommended by previous studies. Data was analyzed using SPSS and the descriptive statistics were expressed as a mean (SD) for each variable, while the ANOVA and the LSD Post Hoc tests were carried out to detect effects of each type of sport. Results: The results showed that a significant difference was found in variables height, weight, muscle mass, bone content and body fat, while a significant difference was not found for the remaining variable, body mass index. Conclusions: Therefore, these findings may give coaches from the region better working knowledge and thus provide knowledges for basketball experts which will help them to select talented players as best as possible.