Body physique and dominant somatotype in elite and low-profile athletes with different specializations
Abstract
Materials and methods: A total of 72 young male sportsmen aged from 18 to 24 years were divided into three groups (kayakers, basketball and football players). Each group contained almost equal numbers of low level and elite, international level sportsmen. Anthropometric measurements of the players were used to establish somatotypes.
Results: The greatest difference was observed in the mesomorphic component of elite kayakers compared to the low profile sportsmen. Mesomorphy could also be used to predict sport ability. The range of mesomorphy for elite footballers was from 0 to 4.6, for basketball players from 4.6 to 5.9, and for kayaking, from 5.9 and higher. Individual groups of elite sportsmen displayed different modes of somatotype. The kayakers were predominantly endomorphic; the basketball players mostly endomorphic and the footballers most often ectomorphic. No distinguishable patterns of somatotype were displayed by the low level sportsmen.
Conclusions: Morphometric characteristics of the athlete's body and the fractional somatotype can be used as guiders and markers of the chosen sport and method of training.
The results emphasize the necessity for a specific somatotype to reach a high profile in the selected area of sport and thus support morphometric oriented studies. Further studies could elucidate differentiation by age and sex.
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Gutnik, B.; Zuoza, A.; Zuozienė, I.; Alekrinskis, A.; Nash, D.; Scherbina, S. Body physique and dominant somatotype in elite and low-profile athletes with different specializations. Medicina 2015, 51, 247-252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medici.2015.07.003
Gutnik B, Zuoza A, Zuozienė I, Alekrinskis A, Nash D, Scherbina S. Body physique and dominant somatotype in elite and low-profile athletes with different specializations. Medicina. 2015; 51(4):247-252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medici.2015.07.003
Chicago/Turabian StyleGutnik, Boris, Aurelijus Zuoza, Ilona Zuozienė, Aleksandras Alekrinskis, Derek Nash, and Sergei Scherbina. 2015. "Body physique and dominant somatotype in elite and low-profile athletes with different specializations" Medicina 51, no. 4: 247-252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medici.2015.07.003