Evaluation of Body Composition, Strength and Power of Division II Competitive Female Cheerleaders

The relationship between body composition (lean and fat mass), strength, and power is not well understood in collegiate competitive female cheerleaders. PURPOSE: To evaluate the relationship between body composition, strength and power in Division II competitive female cheerleaders. METHODS: 35 female cheerleaders (age 18.8 ± 0.28 years, BMI 21.45 ± 0.30 kg/m2) completed a battery of fitness measurements including body composition (air displacement plethysmography), strength (handgrip, 1RM bench press, 1RM squat) and power (vertical jump). Pearson correlation coefficients were used to analyze relationships. RESULTS: Group analysis demonstrated that measures of upper body strength (handgrip and bench press) were moderately related (r = 0.49, p = 0.01), but lower body strength (squat) and power (vertical jump) were only weakly related (r = 0.36, p = 0.05). Body composition was not related to strength or power except as absolute lean mass (kg). There was a fairly strong and positive relationship between lean mass and grip strength (r = 0.66, p = 0.01), bench press (r = 0.59, p = 0.01), squat (r = 0.69, p = 0.01) and vertical jump (r = 0.52, p = 0.01). However, subgroup analysis by positions (bases vs. flyers) identified marked differences. In bases (n = 25) (BMI 21.90 ± 0.36 kg/m2), lean mass was significantly related to grip strength (r = 0.64, p = 0.01), bench press (r = 0.53, p = 0.01), squat (r = 0.55, p = 0.01) and vertical jump (r = 0.61, p = 0.01). By comparison in flyers (n = 10) (BMI 20.66 ± 0.33 kg/m2), although lean mass had a strong relationship to squat strength (r = 0.84, p = 0.01), it had no relationship to grip strength or vertical jump, and only a moderate relationship to bench press (r = 0.65, p = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Among the cheerleaders in this study, bases maintained consistent and positive relationships between lean mass, upper and lower body strength, and lower body power, while flyers did not. These findings may reflect differences in the positional demands placed on cheerleaders.