The purpose of the present study was to observe the specific adaptations, induced by long-term training, on the physique of rhythmic sports (RSG) and artistic gymnasts (GYM). Two hundred females (N = 200) aged 8-17 years (RSG: n = 60; GYM: n = 60; CONTROL: n = 80) participated in the study. Measurements of height, body mass, sitting height, armspan, skinfold thickness, circumferences, and diameters were obtained. The MANOVA and the Scheffe post hoc test indicated that GYM athletes were shorter in height (p < .01), lower in body mass (p < .01), had lower values in fat content (p < .001), had narrow bi-iliac breadth (p < .001), but presented higher values in the upper limb circumferences (p < .01) as compared to the females of the control and the RSG groups. On the other hand, RSG athletes had leaner upper limbs than non-athletes (p < .01), presented broad shoulders (p < .05), and had a prevalence in the lower limbs against the trunk (p < .05). Significant differences were also observed in circumferences between the right and left legs (p < .05) in RSG elite athletes. Apart from the differences between athletes and non-athletes, these observations suggest that long-term training affects the muscle mass of the upper limbs in GYM gymnasts, due to the dynamic structure of supporting exercises. In addition, the significant differences between left and right legs (thigh and calf circumferences), only in RSG elite gymnasts, point out the unilateral adaptations for the thigh of the raised prevalent working leg and for the calf of the supported leg due to one-sided specific training demands.
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