Somatotype is More Interactive with Strength than Fat Mass and Physical Activity in Peripubertal Children

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyse the interaction between somatotype, body fat and physical activity in prepubescent children. This was a cross-sectional study design involving 312 children (160 girls, 152 boys) aged between 10 and 11.5 years old (10.8 ± 0.4 years old). Evaluation of body composition was done determining body mass index and body fat by means of skin-fold measurements, using the method described by Slaughter. Somatotype was computed according to the Carter’s method. Physical activity was assessed with the Baecke questionnaire. The physical activity assessment employed sets of curl-ups, push-ups, standing broad jump, medicine ball throw, handgrip strength and Margaria-Kalamen power stair. There were negative associations for body fat, endomorphy and mesomorphy with curl-ups, push-ups and broad jump tests and positive associations with ball throw, handgrip strength and Margaria-Kalamen power tests. The associations for ectomorphy were the inverse of those for endomorphy and mesomorphy. Non obese children presented higher values for curl-ups, push-ups and standing broad jump. In medicine ball throw, handgrip strength and Margaria-Kalamen power test obese children presented higher scores, followed by children who were overweight. The mesoectomorphic boys and ectomesomorphic girls performed higher in all tests. The morphological typology presented more interactions with strength than % of body fat and physical activity. These data seem to suggest that the presence/absence of certain physical characteristics is crucial in the levels of motor provision in prepubescent children.

Relationship between bone age, hormonal markers and physical capacity in adolescents

“…In addition to the factors already elucidated regarding increasing the capacity to generate force, based on the literature, it can be speculated that body weight can reflect this relationship. Marta et al 24 found an association between body weight and the ESUL test reporting that obese children and adolescents performed better in the test, followed by the overweight. Furthermore, Casajús et al 25 also found that obese and overweight children and adolescents had better static strength test results (handgrip) when compared to normal weight children and adolescents.…”

Endomorphs Show Higher Postural Sway Than Other Somatotypes Subjects

“…The somatotype has been defined as the quantification of the shape and composition of the human body, according to the measurements of anthropometry, it has been expressed in a three-number rating representing endomorphy (fatness), mesomorphy (musculature), and ectomorphy (linearity), (11). There are some studies indicating the association between the type of somatotypes and health conditions (12,13) as well as physical performance (14,15). While no study has been done to investigate the somatotype effect on dynamic balance control, a few studies have investigated its effects on the static balance control (8)(9)(10).…”

Efeito das variáveis biológicas, socioculturais e motoras na prestação do lançamento em crianças pré-pubertárias

“…Neste período ocorrem mudanças relevantes no tamanho, forma e composição corporal da criança (Rogol, Clark, & Roemmich, 2000). Por sua vez, estas alterações têm impacto direto na prestação motora, com especial ênfase no desempenho das habilidades motoras fundamentais (Marta, Marinho, Costa, Barbosa, & Marques, 2011;Van den Tillaar & Ettema, 2004). Por exemplo, o incremento na estatura, associado a um maior comprimento das alavancas, tende a proporcionar um melhor desempenho em tarefas relacionadas com a projeção da bola (Van den Tillaar & Ettema, 2004).…”

“…A este respeito, foram reportadas correlações significativas e positivas das componentes endomórfica e mesomórfica com tarefas de projeção da bola em rapazes e raparigas pré-pubertárias. Pelo contrário, a componente ectomórfica evidenciou uma correlação inversa com o desempenho nessas tarefas (Marta et al, 2011).…”

“…Recentemente tem sido apontada a necessidade da investigação considerar a coinfluência de variáveis ambientais, antropométricas e morfológicas sobre a prestação motora de crianças pré-pubertárias (Marta et al, 2011;Marta, Marinho, Barbosa, Izquierdo, & Marques, 2012). Esta necessidade é especialmente premente no período pré-pubertário em que a frequência de aulas de educação física e de atividades extracurriculares (e.g., clubes desportivos e do desporto escolar e atividades desportivas organizadas) poderá representar um estímulo considerável sobre o desenvolvimento motor da criança (Marta et al, 2012).…”