Body composition and somatotype in professional soccer players according to their playing position
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24310/riccafd.14.3.2025.22046Keywords:
body composition, somatotype, soccer players, playing positionAbstract
This study aimed to determinate the body composition and somatotype of professionals soccer players according to their playing position. A total of 50 professionals soccer players from the Mexican First Division participated and were categorized in four groups: goalkeepers (GK), defenders (DF), midfielders (MF) and forwards (FW). Each player underwent anthropometric measurements following the ISAK protocol. Body composition was subsequently determined using the four basic components model, and somatotype using the Heath-Carter method. The results showed statistics differences in the anthropometric variables and body composition. When evaluating muscular mass, GK had the highest values, while MF recorder the lowest (p < 0.01). Regarding fat mass, the highest values were observed in the order FW > DF > GK > MF, with differences between FW vs MF (p < 0.01) and DF vs MF (p < 0.01). However, no statistical differences were found in the percentages of total muscle mass and total body fat. In terms of somatotype, the most common biotype was balanced mesomorph, particularly in MF and DF. The meso-endomorph and meso-ectomorph types were mainly found in FW and GK, respectively, while the balanced ectomorph was the least common, observed in only one FW player. These results reveal that both body composition and somatotype in professional soccer players vary according to their playing position, highlighting the importance of tailoring training and nutrition programs to meet the specific demands of each position.
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