Associations between bio-motor ability, endocrine markers and hand-specific anthropometrics in elite female futsal players: a pilot study

BACKGROUND: The second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D:4D) has been calculated for individual athletes and sports, but it has not been investigated in futsal performance. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate any relationships between 2D:4D of the dominant and non-dominant hands and physical capacity performances, selected functional variables and hormone concentrations in elite female futsal players. METHODS: Twenty-four elite female futsal players were measured for 2D:4D in the dominant (2D:4D(D)) and non-dominant (2D:4D(ND)) hand. The futsal specific performance test (FSPT), hand-grip strength (HGS) and aerobic power were also assessed. In addition, selected circulatory hormones were measured (estradiol, cortisol, growth hormone and insulin like growth factor-1). Pearson’s correlation test was used to identify correlational relationships. RESULTS: Total test-time and performance time (total time + penalty time) for the FSPT showed a significant correlation with 2D:4D(D) (r = 0.53, p = 0.005 and r = 0.55, p = 0.003, respectively). HGS(ND) also displayed a significant correlation with the 2D:4D(D) (r = 0.59, p = 0.002). Aerobic power and time spent running on the treadmill also showed a significant relationship with 2D:4D(ND) (both, r = 0.54, p = 0.006). Cortisol showed a significant correlation with 2D:4D(D) (− 0.58, p = 0.003) and 2D:4D(ND)(− 0.52, p = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: The measurement of 2D:4D ratio could be an important factor in determining potential performance attributes and talent identification of elite female futsal players. Further studies are needed in this area to further examine the results presented here.