Body Composition and Anaerobic Fitness of Division 3 Collegiate Cheer and STUNT Athletes
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Authors
Gilbert, Ava
Issue Date
2025-04-03
Type
Language
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
Description
College cheerleading is a sport that is rapidly growing and gaining popularity in the
United States. In 2023 there were 68 teams participating in STUNT the Sport in the United
States, which has increased to 74 college teams competing in the 2025 season. Additionally,
hundreds of teams from across the country compete in NCA Nationals in Daytona, Florida every
April. Despite the popularity of this sport, there is little scientific research about the athleticism
of STUNT athletes. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to assess the impact of participating in
collegiate NCA style and STUNT style cheerleading on body composition and anaerobic fitness.
In this study, 24 athletes from the Division III Alma College Cheer and STUNT team
have been recruited and are having their data collected longitudinally through the duration of the
2024-2025 season. Four total testing sessions will be completed by the end of the study, with
data collection in September and December of 2024 and February and April 2025. At each
testing session, athletes complete a whole body DEXA body composition scan and a Wingate
anaerobic power test. This study is specifically investigating bone mineral density and lean mass
values based on DEXA scan data, and anaerobic fitness as determined by peak power and
average power achieved on the 30-second Wingate maximal cycling test. Data from each of the
four testing sessions will be analyzed to compare athlete stunting positions and grade level
differences, and to determine if changes occur throughout the season.
By completing this research, we hope to gain understanding about the physical demands
and attributes of Division III collegiate NCA cheer and STUNT athletes. We hope our research
will begin to provide a framework that can guide training programs, injury prevention strategies,
and performance optimization, helping future cheer and STUNT athletes achieve greater success
in their sport.