This document discusses somatotypes, which are three categories used to identify body shapes: endomorphic, mesomorphic, and ectomorphic. Endomorphs tend to carry more fat, mesomorphs have more muscle and bone mass, and ectomorphs are leaner and thinner. Most people have a combination of types. Certain sports attract certain somatotypes - for example, basketball players tend toward the tall, thin ectomorph/mesomorph category, while sumo wrestlers tend toward the heavier endomorph type. The document provides descriptions and examples to explain somatotyping and which types are suited to different sports.

1. © Folens 2009FOR EDEXCEL 1.2.1a Physical activity and your healthy mind and body
Somatotypes 1
Somatotypes

2. © Folens 2009FOR EDEXCEL 1.2.1a Physical activity and your healthy mind and body
What you will learn about
in this topic:
1. Body types (somatotypes)
2. How somatotypes are
determined
3. Which somatotypes suit which
sports
Somatotypes 2

3. © Folens 2009FOR EDEXCEL 1.2.1a Physical activity and your healthy mind and body
Somatotypes 3
Learning objectives
By the end of this presentation you
should be able to:
•Understand what somatotypes are
•Describe each somatotype
•Explain why different somatotypes are
suited to certain sports

4. © Folens 2009FOR EDEXCEL 1.2.1a Physical activity and your healthy mind and body
Somatotypes
Somatotyping is a method of
identifying people by their body
shape. There are three extreme
categories of somatotypes:
• Endomorphic
• Mesomorphic
• Ectomorphic
Somatotypes 4

5. © Folens 2009FOR EDEXCEL 1.2.1a Physical activity and your healthy mind and body
Somatotypes 5
A person with an
endomorphic
body type has a
tendency to put
on fat, has a soft
roundness of
shape, short
tapering limbs,
small bones and
wide hips.

6. © Folens 2009FOR EDEXCEL 1.2.1a Physical activity and your healthy mind and body
A person with a
mesomorphic
body shape
usually has a high
proportion of
muscle and bone,
a large trunk, a
heavy chest,
broad shoulders
and narrow hips.
Somatotypes 6

7. © Folens 2009FOR EDEXCEL 1.2.1a Physical activity and your healthy mind and body
A person with an
ectomorphic
body shape has a
lean, fragile,
delicate body,
small bones and
is narrow at the
shoulders and
hips.
Somatotypes 7

8. © Folens 2009FOR EDEXCEL 1.2.1a Physical activity and your healthy mind and body
Each somatotype has a 1 to 7 score
where 1 is low and 7 is high.
Each person is measured to find
their personal mark.
A non-sportsperson may have the
following combination: 4, 3, 3 (4 =
medium endomorphy, 3 = low
mesomorphy, 3 = low ectomorphy).
Somatotypes 8

9. © Folens 2009FOR EDEXCEL 1.2.1a Physical activity and your healthy mind and body
There are very few people with the
extreme examples of these body
type. Most people have a
combination of all three.
Sportspeople generally have more
mesomorphic (muscle) and
ectomorphic (thinness) than
endomorphic (fatness)
characteristics.
Somatotypes 9

10. © Folens 2009FOR EDEXCEL 1.2.1a Physical activity and your healthy mind and body
A top-class sport, however, will attract
the best extremes of body type
suitable to that game.
Somatotypes 10
For example, basketball
will attract players who
are all very tall and thin
with sinewy muscles,
falling into the
ectomorph/mesomorph
category.

11. © Folens 2009FOR EDEXCEL 1.2.1a Physical activity and your healthy mind and body
Jockeys, swimmers and marathon
runners fall into the ectomorph
(relatively thin) category.
A centre in netball, a gymnast and a
sprinter are all mesmorph types
(relatively muscled).
A prop in rugby would be the
mesomorph/endomorph type.
Somatotypes 11

12. © Folens 2009FOR EDEXCEL 1.2.1a Physical activity and your healthy mind and body
Task
What would you say is your
somatotype?
Make a poster to show the different
types of bodies sportspeople have.
Use photos from magazines or the
Internet to illustrate a range of
types.
Somatotypes 12

13. © Folens 2009FOR EDEXCEL 1.2.1a Physical activity and your healthy mind and body
Somatotypes 13
Exam questions
1. What somatotype do sumo
wrestlers tend towards? Explain
your answer.
2. Using a sporting example,
describe what an extreme
mesomorphic person would look
like.

14. © Folens 2009FOR EDEXCEL 1.2.1a Physical activity and your healthy mind and body
Somatotypes 14
What you have learnt
in this topic:
1. Body types (somatotypes)
2. How somatotypes are shown
3. Which somatotypes suit which
sports

15. © Folens 2009FOR EDEXCEL 1.2.1a Physical activity and your healthy mind and body
Somatotypes 15
Learning objectives
You should now be able to:
•Understand what somatotypes are
•Describe each somatotype
•Explain why different somatotypes are
suited to certain sports