Somatotyping according to the Heath–Carter scheme – the relationship between body type and gender, age and level of physical activity

• Kseniya V. Vybornaya
• Dmitriy B. Nikityuk

Abstract

In order to navigate the research results when determining the somatotype profile, it is necessary to know certain patterns that the somatotype undergoes during growth and development, as well as the features of body type formation depending on gender, age, race and the level of physical activity.

The purpose of the research was to identify the main patterns of somatotype formation and dynamics during ontogenesis depending on gender, age, race, the level and nature of physical activity.

Material and methods. 40 literature sources were analyzed, searches by keywords “Heath–Carter scheme”, “Sheldon scheme”, “somatotype”, “sports somatotyping”, “children’s somatotyping” were performed in the PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science Elsevier, eLibrary databases.

Results. There are no differences in the distribution of somatotypes between boys and girls aged 1–4 years. After 5 years, the somatotype profile of boys shifts towards a higher mesomorph score, and the somatotype profile of girls – towards higher endomorph and ectomorph scores, which reflects a typical adolescent restructuring, expressed in masculinity of boys and endomorph changes of girls. This divergence of somatotypes continues until the age of 18. Further, in the subgroups of adult men and women, the somatotype undergoes the same changes regardless of gender, expressed by an increase in the score values of the endomorph and mesomorph components up to the age of 60. The differences in the somatotype profile depending on ethnicity and place of residence (rural or urban residents) are associated with different physical activity, eating habits, diet and genetic hereditary factors. The score values of the somatotype components in athletes differ from those in persons with sedentary lifestyle, and athletes of various sports specializations differ from each other in somatotype profile.

Conclusion. Along with the assessment of morphological parameters and body composition, somatotyping is one of the methods for a comprehensive assessment of the level of physical development, expanding the understanding of the ratio of muscle and fat components of body mass. The existing data on the prevalence of various somatotypes in the a conditionally healthy population are indicative for a comparative assessment of newly examined individuals, since on the one hand the somatotyping results depend to a certain extent on the method of obtaining data; and on the other hand the somatotype profile changes during ontogenesis, and is influenced by gender, age, ethnicity, as well as the level of physical activity and even sports specialization.

Keywords: Heath–Carter scheme; somatotype; somatotypology; anthropometry; bioimpedancemetry; children’s somatotyping; sports somatotyping

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