Body composition characteristics and sport performance interaction of juvenile (9–11 year-old) sports dancers

Scientific literature analysis showed that there is no established yet characteristics profile of juvenile (9–11 year-old) sports dancers body composition. Also there is lack of publications about body composition characteristics and sport performance interaction. Research aim was to establish body composition profile and interaction between body composition and sport performance in juvenile sports dancers (9–11 year-old). Research subjects were 179 juvenile sport dancers (91 girls and 88 boys) from various Lithuanian dance sport clubs. The age of the girls ( x (SD)) was 9.59(0.88) years, and that of the boys was 9.67(0.82) years. We established dancers‘ height (cm), body mass (kg), body mass index (BMI) (kg/m²), amount of fat (%), fat mass (kg), lean mass (kg), total body water (kg). Technical preparedness of juvenile dancers‘ was judged in friendly sport contest. Dancers were judged using points system (from 3 to 6 points). The research data was processed applying the methods of statistical analysis, using programs of Microsoft Excel 2010 and SPSS 20.0 for Windows. Significant differences (p<0.05) were established between girls‘ and boys‘ height, amount of fat, lean mass and total body water. Calculated negative correlations show that lower body mass indices positively affect sport results. We established moderate correlations between girls‘ standard and Latin American dances sport performance and amount of fat (%) (r=-0.64, p<0.001; r=-0.57, p<0.001) and fat mass (kg) (r=-0.68, p<0.001; r=-0.67; p<0.001), strong and moderate relationship between boys‘ standard and Latin American dances sport performance and amount of fat (%)(r=-0.83, p<0.001; r=-0.79; p<0.001) and fat mass (kg) (r=-0.82, p<0.001; r=-0,79; p