Principal Component Analysis Of Anthropometric and Biomechanical Variables In Adolescent Elite Karateka Athletes

Objective: Despite the importance of identifying people susceptible to sports, there is little documentation and studies related to karate talent identification.The purpose of this study was principal component analysis of anthropometric and biomechanical variables in adolescent elite karateka athletes. Methods: Subjects divided to adolescent elite karateka athletes (n = 19) and non-karateka athletes adolescent (n=20) by convenience sampling method. Besed on the previous literature, some  biomechanical and anthropometric variables including subcutaneous layeres, circumference and length of the limbs, limb velocity, agility, balance and strength of the limbs was selected and measured. The principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to reduce the number of variables and identify the principal component Analysis anthropometric and biomechanical variables. Results: The results of this study showed that the most important anthropometric and biomechanical variables of adolescent elite karate athletes were thoracic subcutaneous fat, height, Sarjent jumping, static balance, handgrip relative strength, chest circumference, ankle circumference, dynamic  balance, abdominal subcutaneous fat and apparent leg length. Conclusion: According to the results of the present study, the extracted anthropometric and biomechanical characteristics can be used for identifiying the talent karateka athletes. &nbsp