Differences in Anthropometrics Characteristics and Body Composition Between Two Elite Youth Male Basketball National Teams - Participants at U18 European Championship 2019

The aim of this research was to determine the differences among the male basketball players of the National team of Montenegro U18 and the National team of Republic of North Macedonia, in terms of their anthropometric characteristics and body composition. A sample of 27 subjects was divided into two sub-samples. The first sub-sample of the subjects consisted of 15 players of the National team of Montenegro, average age 17.6 +/- 0.63, while the other sub-sample consisted of 12 players of the National team of Republic of North Macedonia, average age of 17.17 +/- 0.72. All players were tested in Podgorica, in lasting period of two days, while they held preparations for the European Championship. Anthropometric characteristics and body composition were evaluated by a battery of eleven variables: body height (cm), body weight (kg), triceps skinfold, back skinfold, biceps skinfold, abdominal skinfold, thigh skinfold, calf skinfold, body mass index (BMI), percentage of fat and muscle mass (kg). Differences in anthropometric characteristic and composition of the body of the basketball players of two national teams were determined by using a discriminatory parametric procedure with West for small independent samples (p<0.05). The players of the two teams were found to differ statistically in thigh skinfold. Furthermore, it is concluded that Montenegro players are taller and heavier and have higher muscle mass than North Macedonian players, with approximate skinfolds, BMI and fat percentage values.