Physical fitness of elite women's rugby union players over a ...

eathe in and stand as tall as possible then the platform of the stadiometer was lowered until
it made firm contact with the vertex (top of the head).
3.6.2 Body Mass
Body mass was measured using a calibrated scale (Seca Model 708, Seca Hamburg, Germany)
with accuracy to the nearest 0.1 kg. The players were weighed on a scale located on a hard
and level surface. Participants were requested to remove their footwear and stand erect and
still on the scale until the measurement was recorded.
3.6.3 Skinfolds
As an estimate of adiposity, skinfold thickness was measured at seven sites using a Harpenden
skinfold calipers. The biceps, triceps, subscapular, suprailiac, medial calf, front thigh and
abdominal were the sites selected (Ross & Marfell-Jones, 1991).
The skinfold-caliper reading was the measurement of the compressed thickness of a double
layer of skin and the underlying subcutaneous tissue, which is assumed to be adipose tissue.
The skinfold thickness was measured by grasping a fold of skin and the underlying
subcutaneous tissue between the thumb and forefinger, 1 - 2 cm above the site that is to be
measured. The fold was pulled away from the underlying muscle and the jaws of the calipers
are placed on either side of the site, at a depth of approximately 1 cm. The skinfold was held
firmly throughout the application of the caliper and the reading was taken when the needle
became steady after the full pressure of the caliper jaws had been applied. The calipers were
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