Development of an Assessment of Proportional Body Build in Operational-Level Officers and Verification of Its Informative Value

Abstract

Objective. The aim of the study was to substantiate and develop an assessment of proportional body build in operational-level officers and to verify its informative value. Materials and methods. The study involved 201 operational-level officers who, at the time of the pedagogical experiment, had no health impairments and provided informed consent for voluntary participation. Anthropometric methods and methods of mathematical statistics were used to develop the assessment of proportional body build. Results. The expediency of using body girth measurements as indicators reflecting skeletal muscle development, the distribution of muscle and adipose tissue, and sensitivity to systematic physical loads was substantiated. In contrast to linear parameters, girth characteristics allow for a more objective assessment of changes in body build in adulthood. A correlation analysis was conducted to determine the relationships between chest circumference and other morphological indicators. High statistically significant positive correlations were found (r = 0.691-0.820; p < 0.001), indicating a coordinated development of body girth parameters. The integrative nature of chest circumference was confirmed, allowing it to be used as a baseline indicator in the development of a system for assessing proportional body build. Conclusions. A grading scale was proposed, enabling the classification of officers according to body build profile based on combinations of girth measurements. The proposed approach demonstrated high practical significance within the system of physical training, as it creates prerequisites for the individualization of the training process. The theoretical significance of the obtained results lies in expanding scientific understanding of the patterns underlying the formation of proportional body build and substantiating the role of body girth measurements as integral criteria. The practical significance of the study is determined by the possibility of applying the developed scale for objective assessment of proportional body build in operational-level officers, optimization of the training process, and implementation of individualized approaches in physical training systems.