Sports medicine stats: Body size changes among college football players over the last 60 years
Dr. David Geier is an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist in Charleston, South Carolina and Charlotte, North Carolina. He helps athletes and active people feel and perform their best, regardless of age, injuries and medical history. He has been featured in major media publications and shows over 2,500 times throughout his career.
Researchers analyzed publicly available team reports from the 10 NCAA Division III New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) teams from 1956 to 2014 to position-dependent trends over time in body size characteristics. Offensive linemen body weights increased by an astounding 37.5% from 1956 to 2014, compared with a 12% increase since 1961 in the general population, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Body mass index changed in parallel with body weight and exceeded 35 kg/m2 in more than 30% of contemporary NESCAC offensive linemen. Among skill players, time-related changes in body size characteristics generally paralleled those in the general population.
Through the stories of a dozen athletes whose injuries and recovery advanced the field (including Joan Benoit, Michael Jordan, Brandi Chastain, and Tommy John), Dr. Geier explains how sports medicine makes sports safer for the pros, amateurs, student-athletes, and weekend warriors alike.
teams from 1956 to 2014 to position-dependent trends over time in body size characteristics. Offensive linemen body weights increased by an astounding 37.5% from 1956 to 2014, compared with a 12% increase since 1961 in the general population, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Body mass index changed in parallel with body weight and exceeded 35 kg/m2 in more than 30% of contemporary NESCAC offensive linemen. Among skill players, time-related changes in body size characteristics generally paralleled those in the general population.