A number of studies featuring aspects related to the dimension, proportion, composition, and human maturation show very close relationships between forms and proportions and human movements¹. It has also been shown that there is a clear relationship between some anthropometric human measurements and the risk of metabolic diseases². Helmrich et al.³ have shown the relationship between the IMC (index of corporal mass) and the development of diabetes in men, and Manson et al.4 showed similar relationships for women. An anthropometric evaluation of Brazilian paralympic athletes was performed to identify the profile of different groups of athletes and define their status under the light of corporal formation. This study aimed at finding out new methods of optimizing athletic performance during the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games. Some of the main parameters used to define diets and specific training were the measures of the body fat distribution, total number of cutaneous folds, IMC and RCQ. A number of alterations were detected when comparing those parameters with the different groups of athletes. These data can be used to create a data bank for future studies of anthropometric parameters of disable athletes.
Anthropometry; Body composition; Paralympic sports
