Silva, Simonete Pereira daBustamante, AlcibíadesNevill, AlanKatzmarzyk, Peter T.Freitas, Duarte Luís dePrista, AntónioMaia, José António Ribeiro2016-11-152016-11-152016Silva, S., Bustamante, A., Nevill, A., Katzmarzyk, P. T., Freitas, D., Prista, A., & Maia, J. (2016). An Allometric Modelling Approach to Identify the Optimal Body Shape Associated with, and Differences between Brazilian and Peruvian Youth Motor Performance. PloS one, 11(3):e0149493.1932-6203http://hdl.handle.net/10400.13/1271Children fromdevelopedanddevelopingcountriesdifferintheirbodysizeandshapedueto markeddifferencesacrosstheirlifehistorycausedbysocial,economicandculturaldifferenceswhicharealsolinkedtotheirmotorperformance(MP).Weusedallometricmodelsto identifysize/shapecharacteristicsassociatedwithMPtestsbetweenBrazilianandPeruvianschoolchildren.Atotalof4,560subjects,2,385girlsand2,175boysaged9–15years werestudied.Heightandweightweremeasured;biological maturation wasestimated with thematurityoffsettechnique;MPmeasuresincludedthe12minuterun(12MR),handgrip strength(HG),standinglongjump(SLJ)andtheshuttlerunspeed(SR)tests;physicalactivity(PA)wasassessedusingtheBaeckequestionnaire.Amultiplicativeallometricmodel wasadoptedtoadjustforbodysizedifferencesacrosscountries.Reciprocalponderalindex (RPI)wasfoundtobethemostsuitablebodyshapeindicatorassociatedwiththe12MR, SLJ,HGandSRperformance.Apositivematurationoffset parameterwasalsoassociated withabetterperformanceinSLJ,HGandSRtests.Sexdifferenceswerefoundinallmotor tests.BrazilianyouthshowedbetterscoresinMPthantheirPeruvianpeers,evenwhen controlling fortheirbodysizedifferencesThecurrentstudyidentifiedthekeybodysize associatedwithfourbodymass-dependentMPtests.Biological maturationandPAwere associatedwithstrengthandmotorperformance.Sexdifferenceswerefoundinallmotor tests,aswellasacrosscountriesfavoringBrazilianchildrenevenwhenaccountingfortheir bodysize/shapedifferences.eng.Faculdade de Ciências Sociaisjournal articledx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0149493