Training the female competitor: physiological aspects of fitness

No single parameter can disclose the state of physical fitness of elite female competitors. For such indi-viduals, fitness is a composite which varies markedly from one sport to another. It contains aspects of body size and composition, aerobic (general endurance) and anaerobic (local muscular endurance/speed) metabolism, together with aspects of muscle strength. Elements of joint mobility and dynamic balance may also be included. Thus, by obtaining regular laboratory data on key physiological para-meters, areas of relative weakness may be detected and trained. In the current context, various compo-nents of fitness, their physiological assessment, and some comparative data are discussed. Body size and body composition/body fa