Relationship of Physique and Developmental Level to Physical Performance

Abstract

A study was made of the relationship of physique and developmental level, determined by use of the Wetzel Grid, to performance of junior high boys on four fitness tests: pull-ups, 50-yd. dash, standing broad jump, and softball throw. Subjects of different physique groups (heavy, medium, and thin) who were alike developmentally (accelerated, normal, and retarded) differed more markedly in performance than did subjects of different developmental levels who were alike with regard to physique. Subjects who were medium in physique and normal in development were the best performers. Subjects of heavy physique (many overweight) were the poorest performers. This would seem to indicate the need for a restudy of classification methods, particularly when norms are to be used for evaluating performance.