Kinect-based anthropometric measurements: a comparative analysis of traditional methods in youth female weightlifters

Abstract

Background: The importance of anthropometric measurements for monitoring the physical development of athletes and optimizing training programs is well known. Considering the limitations of traditional methods in terms of accuracy and consistency, the aim of this study is to investigate the potential of Kinect V2 as an alternative. Methods: This study wasperformed on 12 youth female weightlifters who won medals in the Youth European Weightlifting Championship. Humerus length, forearm length, hand length, trochanter-tibiale laterale length, tibial length and shoulder width measurements were performed with both Kinect V2 and manual methods. Statistical differences between groups were evaluated using the Mann–Whitney U test. The consistencies of the measurement methods were analyzed with Bland-Altman plots, correlations were determined with Pearson correlation coefficients, and reliability were evaluated with Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) values. Results: Kinect V2 provided accuracy and consistency comparable to manual methods in measurements of humerus (ICC = 0.532), forearm (ICC = 0.600), and hand length (ICC = 0.760). While medium-level concordance was observed in trochanter-tibiale lateral length measurements (ICC = 0.749), high-level concordance and reliability were found in tibial length (ICC = 0.914) and shoulder width (ICC = 0.869) measurements. Conclusions: There were significant differences between the results of humerus length, forearm length and trochanter-tibiale laterale length obtained with both measurement methods. Therefore, measurements of these parameters require significant care. Findings of this study suggest that Kinect V2 can be a reliable tool for rapid and practical anthropometric assessments in sports settings, but highlight the importance of careful calibration and adjustments for specific measurements. Future studies should examine the use of this device more comprehensively across different sports and populations.