Influence of Swimming Training on Selected Anthropometric Measures among Adolescent Boys

Swimming is a whole body physical activity that can contribute to healthy body development and favorable changes in body composition among adolescents. The present study examined the effect of an eight week swimming training programme on selected anthropometric parameters among adolescent male students. Initially 100 adolescent male students aged 14 – 17 years were screened from whom 80 overweight students were identified. Forty (N = 40) participants were randomly selected and equally assigned to a Swimming Training Group (STG, n = 20) and a Control Group (CG, n = 20). The STG participated in a structured swimming training programme for eight weeks, while the CG continued their routine activities without additional training. The selected anthropometric variables were Body Mass Index (BMI) and Body Fat Percentage (BFP). BMI was assessed using body mass and standing height, while body fat percentage was measured using an OMRON BF306 body fat analyser. Pre and post training measurements were obtained using standardized procedures. The data were analyzed using the paired t-test at the 0.05 level of

Significance: . The

Findings: revealed significant reductions in BMI and body fat percentage in the Swimming Training Group whereas no significant changes were observed in the Control Group. The

Results: indicate that systematic swimming training can be an effective intervention for improving selected anthropometric characteristics among overweight adolescent male students.