Evolution of Olympic Athletes: Bigger, Faster, Stronger

The Summer Olympics is a stage where athletes push the limits of the human body, achieving extraordinary feats of strength, speed, and endurance. Over the years, there's been a noticeable trend: Olympic athletes are getting bigger.

Using data from Sports Reference (via Kaggle), Georgios Karamanis plotted the average height and weight of Olympic athletes by sport, illustrating how their physical dimensions have evolved. The chart, published on the Voronoi app, vividly shows this trend over the past few decades.

The Growth of Olympic Athletes

At a glance, almost all sports have shown increases in both the average weight and height of athletes over the past 50 years. Here’s a breakdown of the average weight of male Olympians in kilograms, from 1960 to 2016:

Sport	1960 (Kg)	2016 (Kg)	% Change
Athletics	72.4	74.6	3.04%
Basketball	83.9	100.2	19.43%
Boxing	65.9	67.8	2.88%
Canoeing	75.1	82.8	10.25%
Cycling	69.9	73.6	5.29%
Diving	66.2	66.9	1.06%
Equestrianism	68.5	73.4	7.15%
Fencing	72.5	79.5	9.66%
Football	70.2	74.1	5.56%
Gymnastics	65.1	63.1	-3.07%
Hockey	69.8	77.3	10.74%
Modern   Pentathlon	71	74.2	4.51%
Rowing	79.2	86.7	9.47%
Sailing	76.6	77.3	0.91%
Shooting	75.8	80.2	5.80%
Swimming	75.2	81.3	8.11%
Water Polo	82.4	94.6	14.81%
Weightlifting	76.3	87.8	15.07%
Wrestling	72.2	85.9	18.98%

Basketball stands out with a significant increase in the average weight of male athletes, which rose by over 16 kilograms (35 lbs). Similarly, the average height has also increased, as shown in the table below:

Sport	1960 (Kg)	2016 (Kg)	% Change
Athletics	72.4	74.6	3.04%
Basketball	83.9	100.2	19.43%
Boxing	65.9	67.8	2.88%
Canoeing	75.1	82.8	10.25%
Cycling	69.9	73.6	5.29%
Diving	66.2	66.9	1.06%
Equestrianism	68.5	73.4	7.15%
Fencing	72.5	79.5	9.66%
Football	70.2	74.1	5.56%
Gymnastics	65.1	63.1	-3.07%
Hockey	69.8	77.3	10.74%
Modern   Pentathlon	71	74.2	4.51%
Rowing	79.2	86.7	9.47%
Sailing	76.6	77.3	0.91%
Shooting	75.8	80.2	5.80%
Swimming	75.2	81.3	8.11%
Water Polo	82.4	94.6	14.81%
Weightlifting	76.3	87.8	15.07%
Wrestling	72.2	85.9	18.98%

Wrestling, weightlifting, and water polo have also seen significant increases in both weight and height for men, often pushing these athletes into higher BMI categories. However, BMI may not accurately reflect their health due to their muscular builds.

For female athletes, while the trend is similar, the changes in average weight and height are less dramatic. Swimming, canoeing, and diving saw notable increases, yet still fall within normal BMI classifications.

Here’s a breakdown of the changes in weight for female Olympians:

Sport	1960 (Kg)	2016 (Kg)	% Change
Athletics	72.4	74.6	3.04%
Basketball	83.9	100.2	19.43%
Boxing	65.9	67.8	2.88%
Canoeing	75.1	82.8	10.25%
Cycling	69.9	73.6	5.29%
Diving	66.2	66.9	1.06%
Equestrianism	68.5	73.4	7.15%
Fencing	72.5	79.5	9.66%
Football	70.2	74.1	5.56%
Gymnastics	65.1	63.1	-3.07%
Hockey	69.8	77.3	10.74%
Modern   Pentathlon	71	74.2	4.51%
Rowing	79.2	86.7	9.47%
Sailing	76.6	77.3	0.91%
Shooting	75.8	80.2	5.80%
Swimming	75.2	81.3	8.11%
Water Polo	82.4	94.6	14.81%
Weightlifting	76.3	87.8	15.07%
Wrestling	72.2	85.9	18.98%

And the height changes for female Olympians:

Sport	1960 (Kg)	2016 (Kg)	% Change
Athletics	72.4	74.6	3.04%
Basketball	83.9	100.2	19.43%
Boxing	65.9	67.8	2.88%
Canoeing	75.1	82.8	10.25%
Cycling	69.9	73.6	5.29%
Diving	66.2	66.9	1.06%
Equestrianism	68.5	73.4	7.15%
Fencing	72.5	79.5	9.66%
Football	70.2	74.1	5.56%
Gymnastics	65.1	63.1	-3.07%
Hockey	69.8	77.3	10.74%
Modern   Pentathlon	71	74.2	4.51%
Rowing	79.2	86.7	9.47%
Sailing	76.6	77.3	0.91%
Shooting	75.8	80.2	5.80%
Swimming	75.2	81.3	8.11%
Water Polo	82.4	94.6	14.81%
Weightlifting	76.3	87.8	15.07%
Wrestling	72.2	85.9	18.98%

Outliers in the Trend 

While most sports have seen an increase in athlete size, gymnastics is a notable exception. Both male and female gymnasts are shorter and lighter than their counterparts from the 1960s. This trend is due to the high strength-to-mass ratio required for performance. Studies have shown that smaller gymnasts with a high strength-to-mass ratio excel in rotational movements, contributing to their success (Borms et al., 2003).

Scientific Hypotheses on Athlete Growth

Several scientific hypotheses can explain why Olympic athletes are getting bigger:

• Improved Nutrition and Training: Advances in nutrition and training techniques have allowed athletes to optimize their body composition and physical performance. Studies have shown that better dietary practices and tailored training regimens contribute significantly to increased muscle mass and overall body size (Deutz et al., 2021).
• Genetic Selection: There is a possibility of genetic selection, where individuals with advantageous genetic traits for specific sports are more likely to succeed and therefore more likely to be trained from a young age. Research has indicated that certain genetic markers are associated with athletic performance (Pitsiladis et al., 2016).
• Technological Advances: Equipment and sportswear have evolved to enhance performance, which may indirectly favor larger athletes. For example, advancements in swimwear technology have led to better hydrodynamics, benefiting taller and more muscular swimmers (Toussaint et al., 2002).

The General Population Trend

Parallel to the trend observed in athletes, the general population has also seen increases in average height and weight over the past few decades. This phenomenon is attributed to factors such as improved nutrition, healthcare, and living standards.

Data from the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (2016) indicates that the average height for both men and women globally has increased significantly from 1896 to 1996. For example, the average height of men in the Netherlands increased from 166.8 cm in 1896 to 182.5 cm in 1996. Similar trends are observed worldwide, indicating a general increase in human stature over time.

However, Silventoinen et al. (2016) have explored the potential limits of human height. Their research suggests that although height has increased over the past century, there may be biological limits to this growth. Factors such as genetics, nutrition, and overall health play crucial roles in determining height, but there appears to be a plateau effect where the maximum potential height is reached under optimal conditions.

This increase in height and weight among the general population has also led to a rise in obesity rates, particularly in developed countries. The balance between increased body size for improved athletic performance and health concerns related to obesity remains a critical area of focus for public health officials.

Conclusion

The trend of bigger Olympic athletes aligns with advances in nutrition, training, and genetic selection, showcasing the ever-evolving nature of human physical performance. Meanwhile, the general population continues to grow taller and heavier, with implications for health and society.

References:

• Deutz, N. E., et al. (2021). Advances in Nutrition.
• Pitsiladis, Y. P., et al. (2016). International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance.
• Toussaint, H. M., et al. (2002). Journal of Sports Sciences.
• Silventoinen, K., et al. (2016). American Journal of Human Biology.
• NCD Risk Factor Collaboration. (2016). eLife.
• Borms, J., et al. (2003). Science of Gymnastics.

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