Exploring Body Composition and Somatotype Profiles among Youth Professional Soccer Players
Open accessAbstract
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze the body composition and somatotype of professional soccer players, investigating variations across categories and playing positions. METHODS: An observational, cross-sectional, and analytical study was conducted with 51 male professional soccer players in the U-19 and U-20 categories. Data about sex, age, height, and weight were collected between March and May 2023. Body composition analysis utilized the ISAK protocol for the restricted profile, while somatotype categorization employed the Heath and Carter formula. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics V.26, which involved the application of Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests to discern differences in body composition variables and proportionality based on categories and playing positions. The Dunn test further identified specific positions exhibiting significant differences. RESULTS: The study encompassed 51 players, highlighting meaningful differences in body composition. The average body mass in kg was 75.8 (±6.9) for U-20 players and 70.5 (±6.1) for U-19 players. The somatotype values were 2.6-4.6-2.3 for U-20 players and 2.5-4.3-2.8 for U-19 players, with a predominance of muscle mass in all categories, characterizing them as balanced mesomorphs. CONCLUSIONS: Body composition and somatotype findings underscore distinctions in body mass across categories and playing positions, with notably higher body mass and muscle mass predominance in elevated categories. However, the prevailing skeletal muscle development establishes a significant semblance with the recognized somatotype standard for soccer.
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Kinanthropometry enables the calculation of the three somatotype components, which are widely used in disciplines such as soccer.
“Kinanthropometry also enables the calculation of the three somatotype components, which are widely used in disciplines such as soccer [11].”
From The Seven Methods for the Evaluation of Nutritional Status—ABCDEFG: Narrative Review (2026) · cites this paper as [11]
The adipose mass is not the same as the percentage of body fat, because the adipose mass includes all components of the adipocyte, including water and minerals in addition to fat mass.
“It should be considered that the adipose mass is not the same as the percentage of body fat, because the adipose mass contemplates all the components of the adipocyte, that is to say, in addition to the fat mass, water and minerals [11].”
From The Seven Methods for the Evaluation of Nutritional Status—ABCDEFG: Narrative Review (2026) · cites this paper as [11]
The Results section refers to “fat or adipose mass,” and the Material section lists body-composition measures, but neither explains what adipose mass contains. Searches for the distinction from percentage body fat and for adipocyte water and minerals found no passage addressing the claim. (LLM, conf=0.72)
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Research works printed but not linked: 1
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The Seven Methods for the Evaluation of Nutritional Status—ABCDEFG: Narrative Review
Zambrano-Villacres, R., Arteaga-Pazmiño, C., Guevara Castillo, W. D., Herrera-Fontana, M. E., Domínguez Brito, L. D., Becerra Granados, L. M., Recoba-Obregón, P. E., Rodríguez-Veintimilla, D., Bressi, V., Andrade-Molina, D., et al. (2026) · Applied Sciences · doi:10.3390/app16020845 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Self-citationBecerra-Patiño, B. A., Quintero, A. M., Arancibia, J. E. O., López‐Gil, J. F., & Pino‐Ortega, J. (2025) · Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology · doi:10.3390/jfmk10030238 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
- Authors
- Zambrano-Villacres, R., Frias-Toral, E., Maldonado-Ponce, E., Poveda-Loor, C., Leal, P., Velarde-Sotres, A., Leonardi, A., Trovato, B., Roggio, F., Castorina, A., Wenxin, X., & Musumeci, G.
- Affiliations
- Universidad Estatal de Milagro (EC)
- Universidad Espíritu Santo, Escuela de Medicina, Samborondón, Ecuador
- Universidad Espíritu Santo (EC)
- Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud. Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Salud (ISAIN), Av. Pdte. Carlos Julio Arosemena Tola, Guayaquil, Ecuador
- National Hispanic Medical Association (US)
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Europea del Atlántico, Santander, Spain
- University of Catania (IT)
- University of Technology Sydney (AU)
- Department of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, China
- Fujian Normal University (CN)
- Venue
- Mediterranean Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2024-09-13
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 241-254
- ISSN
- 1973-798X (ISSN-L)
- 1973-7998
- OpenAlex
- W4401635184
- Cited by
- 2
- References
- 51
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1
- FWCI
- 0.90
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Mediterranean Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- OPUS - Open Publications of UTS Scholars (University of Technology Sydney) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Orthopedics and Sports Medicine › Sports Performance and Training
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Body Composition Measurement Techniques
- Social Sciences › Life-span and Life-course Studies › Sports and Physical Education Studies
- Keywords
- body composition, somatotype, professional football players, youth athletes, playing position, body mass, muscle mass, mesomorphy, ISAK protocol, skeletal muscle development
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