BODY DIFFERENCES-SOMATOTYPES

PEAK PERFORMANCE 2- BODY DIFFERENCES

One of the natural assets of some people is their body build or physique. This can be measured and the result is known as your SOMATOTYPE. There are 3 somatotypes. Endomorph Mesomorph Ectomorph Each of us is likely to be predominant in one or another of these.

FUNCTIONAL ANATOMY- SOMATOTYPES

Various body measurements are needed in order to work out your somatotype and together with your age and gender, these scores are read from a chart. The measurements taken are for: Height Weight Bone size Muscle girth Fat

A score out of 7 will then be given in the following categories: Fatness-ENDOMORPHY Muscularity- MESOMORPHY Linearity (thinness )- ECTOMORPHY So a persons somatotype might be 2:6:2. this would mean: 2/7 for fat, 6/7 for muscle and 2/7 for thinness.

Once the somatotype is known, it can be plotted on a somato chart.

Sportspeople from certain sports seem to group together on the somato chart. For example most people are mesomorphs, but some, such as marathon runners and jockeys are closer to the Ectomorph end of the scale

HOW CAN BODY TYPING BE USED TO IDENTIFY SPORTS STARS OF THE FUTURE

CAN YOU NAME THESE BODY TYPES ?

Measuring your somatotype Measuring fat Most of the body is covered just beneath the skin with a substance that we call fat. As men get older they tend to increase in fat in the lower abdomen, while women increase fat on the thighs and buttocks as well. Fat is very good at conserving heat, so thin people feel the cold much more than fat people

TO DO THIS YOU USE SKIN FOLD CALIPERS. In order to find your somatotype, it is necessary to measure your body fat, or skinfolds, at 4 sites on your body TO DO THIS YOU USE SKIN FOLD CALIPERS.

BODY COMPOSITION 1

WHERE DO YOU APPEAR ON THE SOMATOTYPE GRAPH ?

NOW COMPARE THAT WITH THE DISTRIBUTION OF COLLEGE SPORTSMEN.

REVISION