Somatotype or Body Type

 People come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Body type or physique can greatly
affect performance in different activities. Body type is also known as somatotype.
A performer’s somatotype can be measured against the three extreme
somatotypes:
 Extreme endomorphs have the following characteristics:
A lot of body fat
A lot of fat on the upper arms and thighs
Wide hips and narrow shoulders
Fairly slim wrists and ankles
 Extreme mesomorphs have the following characteristics:
Very little body fat
A muscular body
Broad shoulders and narrow hips
A large head
Strong forearms and thighs
The mesomorphic shape is the most common body shape among elite performers.
Most sports favour the strong, muscular limbs and low body fat of the mesomorphic
shape.
 Extreme ectomorphs have the following characteristics
Very little muscle or body fat
Narrow hips and shoulders
Thin legs and arms
A narrow chest and abdomen
Thin face and high forehead
 All performers are made up of elements of these three extreme somatotypes.
Most people have a mixture of mesomorphic, endomorphic and ectomorphic
characteristics. A person’s somatotype can be graded using a scoring system. They
are given 3 scores between 1 and 7, according to how well they conform to each of
the extreme somatotypes. 1 is a low score, 7 is a high score.
Certain somatotypes tend to be found in certain sports. The
ideal somatotype for a performer will depend on their
sport or event. In some cases, the position that they play in
a particular sport might
also be important- Consider, for example, the various body sizes
and shapes in a rugby team. Body type is largely determined
by the genes you inherit from your parents. However, you
can alter your somatotype by training, or by changing your
diet.
Eating more and/or exercising less will increase your body
fat, making you more endomorphic.
Weight training will increase muscle size, making you more
mesomorphic.
Eating less and/or exercising more will decrease your body
fat, making you more ectomorphic
Dramatically changing your body shape is difficult and can
Questions- please write on paper- complete for homework.

1. Explain the term Somatotype.

2. Describe the 3 ‘somatotypes’ using key characteristic words and give a classic
example from Sport.
3. What would an average be? Explain why you think this.
4. What determines your somatotype? Give an example .
5. Different people will have different body types depending, in part, on their lifestyle
choices. The participants in Figure 4 all have appropriate body types for the physical
activity they participate in.

6.
Complete the table below.
(a) Name the body type of each participant shown in Figure 4. (3)
(b) State one reason why this body type is an advantage to the participant shown in
Figure 4 in their physical activity. (3)