Somatotype of elite cuban paddlers

Some physical characteristics are related to maximum sport performance, which has resulted in what has been denominated the morphological prototype.  Knowing about this concept is of great relevance for physical activity professionals.  Consequently, the purpose of this research was to give evidence as to whether the somatotypes of elite Cuban paddlers are related to international studies done in Spain (Esparza, 1993), Canada (Carter, 1999), Australia (Ackland et al, 2000), Argentina (Lentini et al, 2002), and the United States (Vaccaro et al, 2000).  A total of 30 athletes were evaluated including 9 female kayakers and 21 male canoeists and kayakers. This study shows the significant heterogeneity found in this population based on the behavior of the somatotypes when contrasting the groups.  Compared to the other reference studies, the endomorphic component proved to be the differentiating factor in this research.  The foregoing allowed us to conclude that actions should be taken to modify this component in a way that Cuban athletes are closer to the anthropometric profile exhibited by international elite teams.

Determination of factors related to the abandonment of the practice of swimming by former costa rican swimmers

The objective of this study was to determine the importance of different dimensions as the possible causes for the abandonment of the practice of swimming by former Costa Rican swimmers.  Subjects: 51 former swimmers participated, including 17 men (22 ±3.4 years of age) and 34 women (22.5 ±3.4 years of age) from different Costa Rican swimming teams.  The Questionnaire of Reasons for Attrition in the Practice of Sports (Gould et al, 1982; cited by Salguero, Tuero, and Márquez, 2003) was used.  Results:  A positive relationship was noted between perceptions of low skill and low performance (r: 0.372), while negative relationships were noted between years of practice and low skill (r:-0.337), years of practice and influence from others (r:-0.286), and years of practice and starting age for swimming (r:-0.622).  A significant interaction was found in the dimensions gender of participants (F: 2.952; p<0.05) and starting age for swimming (F: 3.147; p<0.01).  An interaction was also found between dimensions and the desire to swim again (F: 2.485; p>0.05).  There were also significant differences in the years of practice; that is, subjects who started before the age of 10 had a higher average of years of practice than those who started later (F: 21.465; p<0.05).  Additionally, a significant interaction was found in weekly hours of swimming practice (F: 2.072; p<0.05).  There were no significant differences (F: 2.535; p>0.05) according to weekly hours of training when subjects were actively swimming. Conclusions: Possible reasons for dropping out were lack of enjoyment and poor physical condition for men and perception of lack of team spirit for women.  The group that started after the age of ten gives similar importance to all the dimensions as possible reasons for dropping out, while the group that began swimming before the age of ten sees lack of team spirit, lack of enjoyment, and poor physical condition as the key reasons for dropping out.  The most important dimensions that represented the reasons for abandonment in subjects who wanted to swim again were lack of team spirit, poor physical condition and low skill, while lack of enjoyment was the most important reason for subjects who do not want to swim again.  In the group of subjects who would swim less than six hours, lack of team spirit is the most important cause, while the dimension lack of enjoyment was the most important reason for subjects who would swim 6 to 12 hours.  Additionally, the highest dropout percentages were observed in the transition from secondary school to college.

La elite urbana de Santiago de Guatemala (1632-1775): estudios de redes

Resumen Estudia la elite urbana de Santiago de Guatemala entre 1632 y 1775 utilizando la familia como unidad básica para el análisis histórico y el parentesco como paradigma para interpretar las relaciones sociales. Abstract This article focuses on the urban elite of Santiago de Guatemala between 1632 and 1775, using the family as the basic unit of historical analysis and using kinship as a paradigm for the interpretation.

La elite de Santiago de Guatemala y el cabildo colonial. 1700-1770

Resumen Examina la relación entre la elite de Santiago de Guatemala y el cabildo de esa ciudad entre 1700 y 1770. Abstract This essay examines  the relations between the elite of Santiago de Guatemala and the cabildo (municipal council) of that city between 1700 and 1770.