Somatotipological analysis in football athletes with age between nine and twenty years: a transversal study

Abstract

Introduction: The literature has pointed out the existence of possible variations between somatotypological characteristics according to the position and category of young players, as well as nationality. Thus, it is important to evaluate the differences of somatotypes in different regions, since they are used as a possible method to estimate the physical profile of the athletes. Objective: To analyze somatotypological characteristics in football athletes, aged nine to twenty years of the basic categories of an elite Brazilian football club, separating them by age group and playing position. Materials and Method: 704 players from U-11, U-13, U-15, U-17 and U-20 base categories were evaluated. Somatotypical classifications and somatocarta were adopted according to the protocol of Heath-Carter (1990). Results: The U-20 presented mesoendomorphic classification; U-17, U-15 and U-11 presented balanced mesomorphic and U-13 presented a mesoectomorphic classification. Discussion: These results show the existence of factors that seem to influence the athletes' body composition, such as maturation level, genetics, adaptations to training, type of training, environment, nutrition, among others. Conclusion: It was verified that the athletes presented great relation with the mesomorphy in all the categories and positions of game. However, somatotype evaluations are still inconclusive within the scope of influence on physical-sporting performance in athletes from basic categories of field football.