Author(s): Zerihun Birhanu and Rediet Mesfin

Abstract:
The major aim of this study was to investigate the association between anthropometric, physiologic and physical fitness measures (independent variables) and 5000m running performance (dependent variable) for junior female athletes according to the IAAF’s scoring tables of athletics based on time. For the purpose of this study a total of 18 female junior 5000m athletes whose age ranging 17-19 years were selected from two national athletics training centeres namely Tirunesh Dibaba and Ethiopian Youth Sport Academy. Through both the critical and allied literature pertaining to the problem under consideration the following anthropometric, physiologic and physical fitness variables were selected – Anthropometric variables: standing height, body weight, body mass index, sum of 6 skinfold measure (for upper body), sum of 8 skinfold measure (for upper and lower body), percent body fat, upper arm girth, upper thigh girth, waist girth, gluteal girth, mid-thigh girth calf girth total arm length and total leg length. Physiologic variables: V02max, resting heart rate, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure and physical fitness variables: 40m speed test, 300m time trial for special endurance and 12 minutes run general endurance. The skin fold measurements were taken at the following sites: biceps, triceps, subscapular, pectoral, iliac crest, abdominal, front thigh and medial calf. For the purpose of achieving the objectives of this study, the data thus collected was manipulated through SPSS (statistical package for social science) version 20. Particularly for the purpose of investigating the relationship between the selected anthropometric, physiologic and physical fitness measurements (independent variables) with athletes’ running performance in 5000m (dependent variable) a Pearson’s Product moment Coefficient Correlation with a significant level of .05 was employed. Multiple Regression Analysis was computed to find out the contribution of each anthropometric, physiologic and physical fitness variable in predicting running performance for women 5000m athletes. The result indicated that a significant association at .05 level was found between athletes standing height, body weight, percent body fat, sum of 6 skinfold measures, sum of 8 skinfold measures, calf girth, and total leg length from the anthropometric variables, vo2max and resting heart rate form the physiological variable and; 300m time trial for special endurance and 12 minutes run general endurance. Besides, the linear multiple regression analysis indicated that the mixture of anthropometric and physical fitness variables namely standing height, body weight, percent body fat, 300m special endurance test and 12 minutes run general endurance test were significant predictors of running performance for female 5000m athletes accounting 95.7% of variability in performance.

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