Body Build
Our success as an athlete comes from a combination of athletic ability and our body build. The three components of body build are type, size and composition. A system, developed by W.H. Sheldon, uses the terms ectomorph, endomorph, or mesomorph to describe the build of an individual.
Body Type
There are three extremes of body types.
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Endomorph (711)
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Mesomorph (171)
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Ectomorph (117)
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Endomorph
A predominantly endomorphic individual typically has short arms and legs, as well as a large amount of mass on their shorter than normal frame. This hampers their ability to compete in sports requiring high levels of agility or speed. Sports of pure strength, like power lifting, are perfect for an endomorph. Size benefits sports such as rugby and hammer, where size is useful providing it can be moved powerfully. They often have large lung capacity which can make them suited to sports like rowing. Their extra weight can make it difficult to perform sustained weight bearing aerobic activities such as running. They can gain weight easily and loose condition quickly if training is ceased.
Sports Benefits
- Size benefits sports such as rugby where bulk is useful, provided it can be moved powerfully
- Tend to have large lung capacity which can make them suited to sports such as rowing
- They can increase muscle mass much more easily than ectomorphs
Mesomorph
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A predominantly mesomorphic individual excels
in strength, agility, and speed sports. Their medium structure and height,
along with their tendency to gain muscle and strength easily makes them a
strong candidate for a top athlete in any sport. They respond well to cardiovascular and resistance training due to their adaptability and responsive physiology. They can sustain low body fat levels and find it easy to loose and gain weight. Their training needs to be progressive and constantly changing as their body adapts to training quickly which can result in them suffering from over training syndrome if not closely monitored. |
Sports Benefits
- Respond well to cardiovascular and resistance training
- Can sustain low body fat levels
- All muscle groups can be used to derive positive training adoption
- Dependent on the sports' needs they can easily gain or loose weight
Ectomorph
A predominantly ectomorphic individual is long, slender and thin, and therefore power and strength sports are almost totally out of the question. Their slight build also leaves them susceptible to injuries. While they can easily get lean and hard, their lack of musculature severely limits their chances in sports requiring mass. Typically, Ectomorphs dominate endurance sports and gymnastics. Their smaller body surface area enhances their suitability for endurance activities as they are better at managing their body temperature. They can archive low levels of body fat which can be detrimental to health. For females this can result in a cessation of periods and iron deficiency.
Sports Benefits
- Light frame makes them suited for aerobic activity like gymnastics
- Smaller body surface area also enhances their suitability for endurance activity
- Their body is better at thermo regulation, important in endurance based sports
Somatotype
All athletes are made up of the three extreme body types so we are all part endomorph, part mesomorph and part ectomorph. Using a score of one to seven, we can grade our bodies on each of the extreme body types. e.g. two, six, three means: two (low endomorphy); six (high mesomorphy); three (low ectomorphy). In this way, we can compare our body type with that of other athletes. This method of body typing is known as somatotyping. Height is not taken into consideration when working out our body type.
The "perfect" bodybuilder would perhaps be a 173, while 475 might be better suited for football, and a basketball player would optimally be a 147. Having scores in multiple body types, for instance the football player's 475, does not mean he has all of the traits of each body type mixed together. It may mean he has the heavy thick build of the Endomorph combined with superior musculature and strength of the Mesomorph, with the above average height of the Ectomorph.
Greek researchers evaluated 518 elite Greek basketball, volleyball and handball players [J Strength Cond Res 2006 Nov; 20(4):740-4]. Their results indicated the following somatotypes (endomorph, mesomorph & ectomorph) for each sport:
endomorph |
mesomorph |
ectomorph |
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| Volleyball players | 3.4 |
2.7 |
2.9 |
| Basketball players | 3.7 |
2.7 |
2.9 |
| Handball players | 4.2 |
4.7 |
1.8 |
Body Size
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Body size refers to the athlete's height and weight. The ideal size for an athlete depends on the sport or event and sometimes the position they play in their sport (consider the various body sizes in a Rugby team). There are standard ideal weight charts based on an individual's height. These tables unfortunately do not help athletes because they do not allow for body composition. Being overweight is not a problem provided it is extra muscle and not fat. |
Body Composition
Body composition refers to the athlete's body fat. In most sports, the athlete will try to keep his/her levels of body fat to a minimum. In general the higher the percentage of body fat the poorer the performance.
Related Research Papers
- Sports Med Phys Fitness 2006 Jun; 46(2):271-80
- J Sports Sci 2005 Oct; 23(10):1057-63
- J Strength Cond Res 2006 Nov; 20(4):740-4
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Associated Pages
The following Sports Coach pages should be read in conjunction with this page: