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Endurance-type disciplines (running, cycling, biathlon) define the cyclic structure of an athlete's movements, which, in addition to functional parameters, also includes an adequate morphological profile and body composition. Based on the detection, analysis and evaluation of these parameters, it is possible to define the body composition of the competitors as well as possible mutual differences even though it is endurance sports. The results are all the more relevant if the profile of top athletes with notable results is being evaluated. The current case study analyzes the morphological dimensions and body composition of competitors of three different disciplines (middle and long distances, cycling, biathlon) of top-level competitors, members of national teams. The study was conducted: Uroš Gutić (UG) - runner middle and long distances, member of AK "Sarajevo" and the BIH athletic national team; Milan Milivojević (MM) – cyclist, member of Cycling club "Borac" Čačak (Serbia), and the member Serbian national team; Stefan Lopatić (SL) – biathlete, member SK "Romanija" Pale, and BIH national team. Keywords: anthropometric characteristics, body composition, abilities, detection, evaluation. Copyright © 2022 The Author(s): This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium for non-commercial use provided the original

(SL) – biathlete, member SK "Romanija" Pale, and BIH national team. Keywords: anthropometric characteristics, body composition, abilities, detection, evaluation. Copyright © 2022 The Author(s): This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium for non-commercial use provided the original author and source are credited. INTRODUCTION Anthropometry is the most commonly used method of assessing body composition and body composition in the sports population. They Anthropometric characteristics (AC) define the dimensions of the human body and skeleton allowing individual or combined predictions of body composition, energy content, regional fat, body fat and fat mass (Molla, 2017). Skin fold analysis is a common field assessment to predict the amount of subcutaneous adipose tissue, and as much as 50-70% of stored fat lies between the skin and muscle forming subcutaneous adipose tissue. A study by Wang, Thornton, Kolesnik, & Pierson (2000) proved that 40-60% of body fat is found in the subcutaneous region. Certain skin folds provide information about local fat depots and the distribution of fat in the athlete's body, which are extremely important parameters when top athletes are concerned. Anthropological studies show that body composition of athletes in different sports is different (Agello, Tkačuk & Agello, 2003; Bunc, Vávra & Levora, 2005; Podrigalo, Galaško & Lozovoj, 2007; Agello & Krušenskij, 2008; Kočergina, Čepulenas, 2012). In different sports athletes‟ height, body mass and their components have a different effect on competition activities (Čepulėnas, 2006; Podrigalo, Galaško & Lozovoj, 2007; Larson & Henriksson- Larsén, 2007; Psotta et al., 2009). Specificity of a sport also affects changes in body composition indices (Wilmore & Costill, 2004). In different sports body composition indices are specifically related to sports results (Larson & Henriksson- Larsén, 2008; Psotta et al., 2009). Planning athletic training of elite athletes is linked to prediction of optimal age limits aiming at achieving the best individual sports results (Wilmore & Costill, 2004), regardless of the sport regardless of the sport. Background: Runners (Middle and Long Distance) Anthropometric characteristics and body composition are associated

related to sports results (Larson & Henriksson- Larsén, 2008; Psotta et al., 2009). Planning athletic training of elite athletes is linked to prediction of optimal age limits aiming at achieving the best individual sports results (Wilmore & Costill, 2004), regardless of the sport regardless of the sport. Background: Runners (Middle and Long Distance) Anthropometric characteristics and body composition are associated with running performance in middle and long-distance athletes (Arrese & Ostariz, 2006; Knechtle, Knechtle, Schulze, & Kohler, 2008), with skin folds determining body fat distribution by defining relevant morphological parameters of top runners. The amount of subcutaneous adipose tissue of the lower extremities in men is directly related to the

Ratko Pavlovic & Zhanneta Kozina., J Adv Sport Phys Edu, Oct, 2022; 5(10): 225-234 © 2022 |Published by Scholars Middle East Publishers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates 226 result of running 1500m and 10000m, enabling a much more efficient effect of the activity. According to Maldonado, Mujika, & Padilla (2002) significant running performance is correlated with body height and weight (cranial and caudal limb circumference and skin folds) (Knechtle, Knechtle, Schulze, & Kohler, 2008). Some research (Billat, Demarle, Slawinski, Paiva, & Koralsztein, 2001; Muñoz, Muros, Belmonte, & Zabala, 2020) analyzed the anthropometric characteristics, somatotype and body composition of elite male athletes in an effort to define an adequate profile for certain athletic disciplines. It has been determined that body morphology together with body composition have a significant impact on physical performance (Gabbett & Georgieff, 2007) where a high degree of endomorphic component limits physical abilities, while a high degree of mesomorphic component is more adapted to physical abilities (Pavlović, Mihajlović, Radulović, Gutić, 2021). According to Wan Nudri, Ismail, & Zawiak (1996) physical ability and physique are important for success in athletic performance where a different type of body composition (endomorph, mesomorph, ectomorph). It is known that physical characteristics and body composition are important for excellence in athletic performance, where most often for certain athletic disciplines a different type of body composition and body mass is required for maximum performance (Wan Nudri, Ismail & Zawiak, 1996). The study of body composition divides and quantifies body weight or mass into its basic components, where body weight is a gross measure of body weight. It can be analyzed from basic chemical elements and specific tissues to the whole body, while body composition is a factor that can affect sports performance and as such is of great interest to athletes and coaches (Malina, 2007). According to Khan, Ahmed & Raja (2016) such competitions are a product of the overall physique of the athlete which implies a certain body size and its shape taking a major role in the movement of runners. Variables associated with motor performance include physical characteristics, maximum oxygen consumption (Bassett, & Howley,

of great interest to athletes and coaches (Malina, 2007). According to Khan, Ahmed & Raja (2016) such competitions are a product of the overall physique of the athlete which implies a certain body size and its shape taking a major role in the movement of runners. Variables associated with motor performance include physical characteristics, maximum oxygen consumption (Bassett, & Howley, 2000; Maldonado-Martin, Mujika, & Padilla, 2004), body composition, thigh length (Deason, Powers, Lawyer, Ayers, & Stuart, 1991; Brandon, & Boileau, 1992), lactate threshold, energy expenditure during running, running economy and stride length (Heinert, Serfass, & Stull, 1988; Maldonado, Mujika, & Padilla, 2002). Running on medium and long distances is a demanding athletic discipline which, in addition to good functional abilities, appropriate anthropometric characteristics, adequate body composition, also implies an exceptional fitness profile of runners. Body size and strength contribute to motor performance, so an increase in strength is associated with an increase in total muscle mass (Lucia, Esteve-Lanao, Olivan, Gomez-Gallego, San Juan, Santiago, et al., 2006). A significant positive correlation between strength and performance suggests that stronger and more powerful individuals were athletes who also had more successful results (Ball, Massey, Misner, McKeown, & Lohman, 1992). However, the pattern of improving strength and physical ability is not uniform in all tasks, because strength may be important for the successful performance of some motor performances (throwing disciplines), but not so important for some others (long- distance racing disciplines). High-performance athletes require specific biological profiles with exceptional abilities and strong psychological characteristics. Today, all runners are as capable and technically tactically advanced as their opponents. Several researchers have published the physical characteristics of different types of runners (Knechtle, Knechtle, Schulze, & Kohler, 2005; Legaz Arrese, González Badillo, & Serrano Ostáriz, 2005). Arrese, & Ostariz (2006) proved that the amount of subcutaneous adipose tissue of the lower limbs in men is directly related to the result of running 1500m and 10,000m, allowing a much more efficient effect of activity. Middle-aged male top-level runners have greater muscle mass in the lower extremities and torso, and less subcutaneous fat thickness in the central parts of

& Ostariz (2006) proved that the amount of subcutaneous adipose tissue of the lower limbs in men is directly related to the result of running 1500m and 10,000m, allowing a much more efficient effect of activity. Middle-aged male top-level runners have greater muscle mass in the lower extremities and torso, and less subcutaneous fat thickness in the central parts of the body than middle-aged men who usually run at the middle level or do not run at all Oguri, Zhao, Du, Kato, et al., (2004). Some studies (Billat, Demarle, Slawinski, Paiva, & Koralsztein, 2001; Muñoz, Muros, Belmonte, & Zabala, 2020) have studied the anthropometric characteristics, somatotype, and body composition of elite male runners. However, to our knowledge, few studies have conducted research for individual and cumulative values of skin folds among runners as well as individual anthropometric characteristics (Arazi, Mirzaei, & Nobari, 2015, Khan, Ahmed, & Raja, 2016). Background: Cycling Cycling, along with Nordic running and marathon, is one of the most demanding sports in terms of aerobic abilities, and due to its prevalence around the world, it is considered a planetary sport. According to the rules of the World Cycling Federation (UCI), competitions are held on the road (Road cycling), on the track (Track), cyclo-cross competitions, mountain bike competitions (Mountain bike - MTB), bicycle moto- races (bicycle moto cross ―BMX‖) and cyclo-tourism competitions. Each of the disciplines uses a different type of bicycle and equipment for cyclists, which is adapted to specific conditions (Nikolić, 2018; Pavlović, Milivojević, Gerdijan, 2022). It is very important to understand the specificity of road cycling due to the fact that the distances are of different duration and terrain configuration. In the 250 km road stage, the plain and mountain terrain configurations are represented, so that most world-class cyclists participate in a combination of these different configurations and specialties. In today's conditions, world-class professional cyclists cover an average of 35,000 km to 45,000 km in one season (Coyle, Feltner, Kautz, et al., 1991; Mujika, & Padilla, 2001; Lucia, Hoyos, & Chicharro, 2003),

that most world-class cyclists participate in a combination of these different configurations and specialties. In today's conditions, world-class professional cyclists cover an average of 35,000 km to 45,000 km in one season (Coyle, Feltner, Kautz, et al., 1991; Mujika, & Padilla, 2001; Lucia, Hoyos, & Chicharro, 2003),

Ratko Pavlovic & Zhanneta Kozina., J Adv Sport Phys Edu, Oct, 2022; 5(10): 225-234 © 2022 |Published by Scholars Middle East Publishers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates 227 between 800 and 1,200 hours, while amateur national cyclists cover 15,000 to 18,000 km in the same period (Lucia, Hoyos, and Chicharro, 2001), between 350 and 500 hours (Friel, 2003). In professional cycling, 93min and 123min are spent in races on mostly flat terrain on mountain stages, which are at an intensity of 70% VO2max. Numerous studies deal with the impact, studying and analyzing the anthropometric characteristics, functional abilities of cyclists in order to reach the relevant parameters that are necessary in cycling for a successful outcome. Identification of objective indicators on the basis of which it would be possible to determine the specialty of cyclists is very important, because it would help trainers in practice to optimize the training process and adapt the methodology of their preparation to the morpho- functional type of individual cyclists (Rauter, Milič, Ţele, et al., 2015). Somatotype and individual anthropometric characteristics differ depending on the specialization of the cyclist, i.e. the length of the track they drive. According to Knechtle, Rosemann, Wirth & Knechtle, (2009) anthropometric parameters correlate with race speed while training volume shows no significant correlation. It turns out that anthropometry has a greater impact on racing performance than training volume. Most studies have measured more anthropometric parameters that could relate to athlete performance. Only a few anthropometric parameters have been shown to be useful for identifying talent and development programs in several sports (Brunkhorst, & Kielstein, 2013). The aim of study Brunkhorst, & Kielstein (2013) was to compare several anthropometric parameters and subjective characteristics of professional elite triathletes with anthropometric profiles of professional cyclists and sportive students. Eight different anthropometric parameters were measured and a five-page questionnaire containing 35 general questions had to be completed. Interestingly, there were no significant differences between the arm span, the lengths of the lower limb and the circumference of waist and hip between male triathletes and cyclists. As expected, the athletes had significantly lower heart rates and lower

and sportive students. Eight different anthropometric parameters were measured and a five-page questionnaire containing 35 general questions had to be completed. Interestingly, there were no significant differences between the arm span, the lengths of the lower limb and the circumference of waist and hip between male triathletes and cyclists. As expected, the athletes had significantly lower heart rates and lower weights as compared to the controls. Further results showed that male cyclists had a higher BMI, larger thighs and were taller as compared to the male triathletes. The present study could not evaluate specific anthropometric characteristics as predictive factors of performance in elite athletes. Thus, individual successful performance is linked to discipline and talent rather than to a specific anthropometric profile. Also, monitoring body composition (BC), and especially regional adiposity, can identify patterns associated with athletic performance and health (Ackland, Lohman, Sundgot-Borgen, et al., 2012). Although BC can reflect many factors unrelated to physical activity and training, it is common knowledge that specific low or high adiposity itself can affect many different sports and cyclist performance (Alvero-Cruz, García Romero, Ordonez, et al., 2022). Knowing the regional adiposity and profile of BC athletes can be very useful for coaches, for example, in improving development programs for their athletes and in longitudinal monitoring of changes in BC athletes, which may indicate athletic fitness (Legaz, 2005). Cycling training models are constantly evolving, and the results of top athletes are becoming more homogeneous, as shown by tables from the world cycling championships for professional cyclists in the disciplines: chronometer, cycle track (time trial) and mountain biking (MTB). In the process of many years of training, there are seasonal variations in relation to the type of training and competition preparation of cyclists. A very important control of the level of current training of athletes involves periodic testing using standardized procedures, where the method of laboratory testing provides the most reference data on the state of training of athletes - cyclists (Peiffer, Abbiss, Chapman, et al., 2008). On the other hand, laboratory tests are non-specific in relation to the general conditions of the athlete, so the

control of the level of current training of athletes involves periodic testing using standardized procedures, where the method of laboratory testing provides the most reference data on the state of training of athletes - cyclists (Peiffer, Abbiss, Chapman, et al., 2008). On the other hand, laboratory tests are non-specific in relation to the general conditions of the athlete, so the obtained data are optimal for assessing the level of morphological and motor development of the cyclist's body and body composition as a relevant factor in success (Dopsaj, et al., 2010). Background: Ski biathlon Cross-country skiing is an endurance sport popular in Northern Europe, Canada and the United States of America. Individual races last 12 to 90 minutes for female athletes, and 22 to 140 minutes for the men, involving downhill, uphill and level skiing (Ekblom, & Bergh, 2000). In contrast to distance running and long-distance cycling, cross-country skiing uses both upper and lower body muscles (Mahood. Kenefick, Kertzer, Quinn, 2001). Athletes spend many years building their aerobic performance capabilities, and this explains why elite cross-country skiers demonstrate increased training age compared to athletes from other endurance sports (Papadopoulou, Gouvianaki, Grammatikopoulou et al., 2012). An optimum sport-specific body size and body composition is required in order to maximize athletic performance; elite cross-country skiers are as lean as distance runners (Eisenman PA, Johnson SC, Bainbridge CN, Zupan MF, 1989). However, within the sport itself variations in physiology have been noted being attributed mainly to the body mass of the athletes, with the heavy skiers being faster in all types of terrain, except for the steep uphills, and the light skiers having an advantage on steep uphill courses. Given the high exercise demands, proper nutrition is important for performance and endurance in crosscountry skiing. The sport is mainly dependent on carbohydrates as the main energy source, and a high-carbohydrate diet (7-10 g/kg body mass (BM)) has therefore been recommended (Burke, Cox, Culmmings, Desbrow, 2001). Proteins have a low contribution to the energy production (5%), and the daily intake of 1.2-1.7g/kg of BM has been proposed as

skiing. The sport is mainly dependent on carbohydrates as the main energy source, and a high-carbohydrate diet (7-10 g/kg body mass (BM)) has therefore been recommended (Burke, Cox, Culmmings, Desbrow, 2001). Proteins have a low contribution to the energy production (5%), and the daily intake of 1.2-1.7g/kg of BM has been proposed as

Ratko Pavlovic & Zhanneta Kozina., J Adv Sport Phys Edu, Oct, 2022; 5(10): 225-234 © 2022 |Published by Scholars Middle East Publishers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates 228 adequate (American Dietetic Association, 2009). Cross- country skiing is a sport that requires endurance, as with cycling and running (Mahood, Robert, Kertzer, et al., 2001; Sandbakk, Holmberg, 2014). Generally, in endurance sports, the higher the performance, the better the maximum oxygen intake. In cross- country skiing events, world-class athletes are reported to have higher maximum oxygen intake than the national-level athletes (Holmberg, Rosdahl, Svedenhag, 2007; Sandbakk, Holmberg, Leirdal, 2011). In addition, compared to national- level cross-country skiers, world-class cross- country skiers have superior anaerobic power, muscular endurance and muscle power, and high aerobic and endurance capabilities (Staib, Im, Caldwell, Rundell, 2000; McGawley, Holmberg, 2014; Akay, About, Özçiloglu, Heil, 2016; Danielsen, Sandbakk, McGhie, Ettema, 2018). Therefore, endurance training is very important for cross-country skiers because it improves capillary density, myoglobin content, and mitochondria number and size, which improve maximum oxygen intake, aerobic metabolism, and energy production. An important consideration in endurance training is the efficient distribution of exercise intensity, duration, and frequency (Sandbakk, Hegge, Losnegard, Skattebo, Tønnessen, Holmberg, 2016; Aagaard, Andersen, 2010, Kim, Han, Lee, Choi, 2021). In biathlon sports mastery is highly dependent on sliding speed, accurate and fast shooting (Cholewa et al., 2005; Carlson, 2011; Kočergina, Čepulenas, 2012). High sports mastery is affected by athletic and technical fitness, functional capacity, age and years of sports experience (Cholewa et al., 2005; Psotta et al., 2009; Carlson, 2011). Skiing technique and sliding speed in the distance depend on body composition indices (Mahvod et al., 2001). Shooting results depend on athletes‟ mental fitness, shooting technique, sports experience and age (Manfredini et al., 2002; Vickers & Williams, 2007). Physical working capacity and body function indices of biathletes are related to the ration of body mass and their components (Bunc, Vávra & Levora, 2005; Psotta et al., 2009). The problem of interaction of biathletes‟ age and their sports results is particularly relevant while planning biathlete training in Olympic four- year cycles (Kočergina, Čepulenas, 2012). Body composition is