The purpose of this master thesis is to compare body composition and body asymmetries between the left and the right side of the upper and lower limbs between the two genders, as well as separately within each of the gender categories. The research included 94 female and male cadet, junior and senior volleyball players. Anthropometric characteristics were analysed using the NX-16 [TC]2 3D body scanner, which we used to measure upper arm girth, forearm girth, elbow girth, wrist girth, thigh girth, knee girth, calf girth, the length of the leg, arm and thigh length, as well as the height of the knee and the shin. Body composition was measured with bioelectrical impedance machine (EBI) Inbody 720 tetrapolar 8-Point Tactile Electrode System (Biospace CO., Ltd.), which we used to measure body weight, body mass index, skeletal muscle mass, body fat percentage, body water percentage and the fat free mass of the arms and legs. The results show that there are statistically significant differences between the female and male volleyball players when comparing their body fat percentage and their skeletal muscle mass. Comparing body asymmetries of the female cadets and seniors, we found no statistically significant differences regarding their upper body composition. Taking into account asymmetries that had to be bigger than 5%, we found no statistically significant differences of the asymmetries within the gender categories. Further longitudinal research of this area could provide a better insight into the demands of specific training in sports where one of the limbs or sides of the body is dominant. The information regarding the differences of the two sides of the body is very useful for drawing up training plans in which we want to include bilateral exercises. This lowers the risk of injuries that occur due to stressors, while also improving fitness and consequentially providing better results.
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