Anthropometric Cross-Sectional Analysis Essay

The article “Anthropometric Cross-Sectional Comparisons of College Football Players and Potential Health Implications” focuses on the change in body weight and height of college football players from 1950 to 2010 and looks at the implications an extreme size may have on the health of those football players. The health implications that were viewed included “injury, heat stress, obesity, and general health stress” (Jacobson). The positions focused on were line positions (offensive linemen [OLs] and defensive linemen [DLs]) and speed positions (wide receivers [WRs] and cornerbacks [DBs]) from National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 colleges that agreed to participate in the study. Jacobson conducted his research by obtaining
rosters from participating NCAA Division 1 school dating back to 1950, though he is sure to point out that earlier copies of rosters were difficult to obtain and may have lacked some information needed. Height and weight were then organized by “year, position, and class standing” to determine the statistical change by “year, position, and year of eligibility” (Jacobson). As the information requested from each college arrived, height was converted from inches to centimeters and weight from pounds to kilograms to ensure consistency throughout the data. The information on a total of 1,344 linemen and 930 WRs and DBs were analyzed. The results Jacobson gathered was not surprising.
Yes, the height and weight of college football players has increased over seven decades. From 1950 to 2010, there was a 50.8% increase in weight for OLs and a 50.9% increase in weight for DLs. However, height only increased by 5.2% in OLs and increased by 6.7% in DLs. In addition to the changes in height and weight, Jacobson also looked at the differences in height and weight between offensive line positions – center, guard, and tackle. The comparisons between these positions were of those from 1950-1960 and their counterparts from 2000-2010. A statistically significant difference in weight was found “between guards and tackles, but not between centers” (Jacobson). No statistical difference was found in the mean weights of their 2000-2010 counterparts. The study found that guards were “slightly shorter than both tackles and centers” for the 1950-1960 lineman. When the 2000-2010 linemen were looked at, the tackles were “significantly taller that both guards and centers” (Jacobson). WRs and DBs did showcase an increase in height and weight over the same seven decades, their increases weren’t quite as dramatic as the line positions. WRs and DBs showed an increase of 7.7% and 10.1%, respectively, in weight and an increase of 1.9% and 2.3% in height, respectively, from 1950-2010
(Jacobson). Based on other studies and his own data, Jacobson determined that the anthropometric changes in positions that rely on speed and agility (WRs and DBs) have changed very little in the seven decades looked at. However, the anthropometric changes in collegiate line positions (OLs and DLs) have changed so significantly that it is trickling down into high school line positions. One such example is that some junior and senior football players are “nearing the 136.1 (300 lb) mark” (Jacobson). Higher body mass comes with a significant number of risks including, heat-related injuries, heart disease, stroke, bone injuries, joint injuries, and concussions. Jacobson reiterates that with this increase in body mass, coaches and trainers “need to maintain awareness” of their players “susceptibility to heat-related injuries.” Rules that have been put in place by the NCAA to reduce head injuries should be “addressed by the coaches and enforced by the referees to be effective” (Jacobson).