Biomedical Human Kinetics, 9, 7–13, 2017
DOI: 10.1515/bhk-2017-0002
Original Paper
Body composition and somatotype of judo athletes and untrained
male students as a reference group for comparison in sport
Krzysztof Buśko
1
, Anna Pastuszak
2
, Ewa Kalka
3
1
Department of Anatomy and Biomechanics, Kazimierz Wielki University, Bydgoszcz, Poland;
2
Department of
Biomechanics, Institute of Sport National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland;
3
Institute Mother and Child, Warsaw,
Poland
Summary
Study aim: The aim of this study was to determine the body composition and somatotype of untrained male students studying
at Warsaw University of Technology in 2011, in order to create a current reference group for comparison, and to investigate the
difference in body build of male judoists compared with the non-athlete group.
Materials and methods: Fifteen male judo athletes (age 18.6 ± 1.9 years, body height 177.4 ± 8.5 cm, body mass 80.3 ± 15.8 kg,
training experience 10.0 ± 2.8) and 154 male untrained students of the Warsaw University of Technology (age 20.1 ± 0.9 years,
body height 180.9 ± 7.2 cm, body mass 75.6 ± 10.9 kg) participated in the study. Somatotype was determined using the Heath-
Carter method.
Results: The mean somatotype of the untrained students was 3.9 4.6 2.9, whilst that of the judo athletes was 3.2 5.9 1.8; the
-
ent in body composition as estimated by BIA and anthropometric methods (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: The morphological characteristics of the judo athletes differed from those of the untrained men. The somatic pro-
since the 1990s.
Key words: Male students – New reference group – Body composition – Somatotype – Judo athletes
Introduction
and body composition can determine the success of ath-
letes in respective sports disciplines, e.g. combat sport
[26], kayak athletes [6, 10], cricket [31], volleyball [4, 10]
and basketball [2, 10], as well as distinguishing those who
play different roles in the game [1, 7, 11]. Adapting to ex-
ercise, developed during training and the selection process,
has resulted in a decrease in somatotype diversity among
athletes of similar disciplines, unlike in the non-trained
population [29]. The somatotype of athletes is most of-
ten compared to the body build of players of the highest
level [10, 26], or to that of untrained reference groups,
such as students [8, 18, 27], or conscripts [19]. The body
build of average young adults may usually serve as the
point of reference for athletes achieving the highest sports
results. Such a reference group are the Polish students at
the Warsaw University of Technology, who, among aca-
demic youth, have the highest biological indices. Since
the early 1950s, these have been examined at intervals of
approximately 10 years [25]. Against this background of
a randomly selected group of relatively inactive men and
women, aspects have been evaluated in the body build of
the highest level Polish athletes in tennis [17], pentathlon
[15], dance [28], combat sports [16, 17, 14, 16, 22], and
of world or European elite athletes engaged in a variety
of sports [20]. In this study, we assess aspects of the body
build of the Polish judo team against the current reference
group, the students of the Warsaw University of Technol-
ogy examined in 2011 as a new reference group. The last
similar comparison of the somatotypes among Polish judo
athletes, female [16, 22] and male [14, 20], was carried
out in comparison with groups of students examined in
1972, 1984 and 1996 [25]. Research of the previous study
Author’s address
Krzysztof Buśko, Department of Biomechanics, Institute of Sport– National Research Institute, Trylogii 2/16,
01 982 Warsaw, Poland krzysztof.busko@insp.waw.pl
K. Buśko et al.
8
indicated certain attributes in the body build of judo com-
petitors compared with that of the average male population.
The athletes were characterized by mesomorph body struc-
ture, with a robust skeleton (large magnitudes of knee and
elbow breadths), well-developed muscles of legs (especial-
ly calf muscles), low body fatness, and very low ectomor-
phy, all compared to the average population, and of world
or European elite athletes engaged in a variety of sports [14,
16, 20, 22]). The current study allows tracking of possible
changes in the structure of the body of highly trained athletes
in this sport discipline. The judoists’ somatotype analysis
-
cation for athletes than can separate anthropometric char-
acteristics, which strongly correlate with body height. The
somatotype varies between different sports, between weight
categories of competitors, and between those playing in dif-
ferent positions on the pitch, but has the smallest diversity
among athletes practicing the same sport and employing the
same techniques [12, 14, 18, 20]. In our previous study we
published the female reference group for comparison with
athletes [23]. Now we have updated somatotype data from
male non-athlete reference groups, complementing the
comparative analysis applied in assessing the effects of the
training process and selection.
The aim of this study was to determine the body com-
position and somatotype of untrained male students study-
ing at Warsaw University of Technology in 2011, in order
to create a current reference group for comparison, and to
investigate the difference in body build between male ju-
doists and untrained students of the University of Technol-
ogy in Warsaw.
Material and methods
The study was approved by the Senate Ethics Commit-
-
tion in Warsaw. All participants were informed about the
aim and the course of the study, and about the possibility
of immediate withdrawal from the study without giving
a cause. All subjects agreed to conditions that were pre-
sented in written form. The study was performed in ac-
cordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Fifteen judoists
(age 18.6 ± 1.9 years, body height 177.4 ± 8.5 cm, body
mass 80.3 ± 15.8 kg, BMI 25.3 ± 3.4 kg · m
–2
, training ex-
perience 10.0 ± 2.8 years) and 154 untrained students in the
-
nology (age 20.1 ± 0.9 years, body height 180.9 ± 7.2 cm,
Table 1. Anthropometrical characteristics (mean ± SD) of judoists and male students of Warsaw University of Technology
(WUT)
Variables WUT, [n = 154] Judoists, [n = 15] Z p Effect size (r)
Age [years] 20.1 ± 0.9 18.6 ± 3.0 –1.85 0.063 0.143
Training [years] – 10.0 ± 2.8
Body height (B-v) [cm] 180.86 ± 7.15 177.37 ± 8.45 –1.63 0.104 0.125
Body mass [kg] 75.58 ± 10.93 80.29 ± 15.77 1.22 0.223 0.094
BMI index [kg · m
–2
] 23.08 ± 2.87 25.32 ± 3.43* 2.55 0.009 0.196
Wrist breadth [cm] 5.77 ± 0.33 6.15 ± 0.42* 2.95 0.003 0.227
Bicondylar femur breadth [cm] 9.93 ± 0.51 9.93 ± 0.62 0.27 0.791 0.021
Bi-acromial breadth (a-a) [cm] 40.77 ± 1.85 40.77 ± 2.28 0.30 0.765 0.023
Bi-cristal breadth (ic-ic) [cm] 29.42 ± 1.82 28.34 ± 1.56* –2.14 0.031 0.165
Arm girthtensed [cm] 31.94 ± 2.89 34.81 ± 3.77* 2.99 0.002 0.230
Arm girth tensed corrected
by triceps skinfords [cm]
30.72 ± 2.66 34.05 ± 3.81* 3.40 <0.001 0.262
Calf girth [cm] 38.33 ± 2.75 37.97 ± 3.86 –0.36 0.720 0.028
Calf girth corrected by calf skinfold [cm] 37.18 ± 2.48 37.10 ± 3.72 –0.23 0.816 0.018
Ʃ3SKF[cm]
42.0 ± 18.75 33.06 ± 8.25 –1.66 0.097 0.128
Ʃ3SKFcorrected [mm]
39.60 ± 17.81 31.68 ± 7.56 –1.37 0.09 0.171
Endomorphy 3.90 ± 1.56 3.21 ± 0.78 –1.48 0.139 0.114
Mezomorphy 4.60 ± 1.14 5.87 ± 1.16* 3.56 <0.001 0.274
Ektomorphy 2.88 ± 1.27 1.83 ± 0.96* –3.23 <0.001 0.249
Comparison of body composition and somatotype of male students and judoists
9
body mass 75.6 ± 10.9 kg, BMI 23.1 ± 2.9 kg · m
–2
) par-
ticipated in the study during November and December
2011 (Table 1). For the sake of the study, the competitors
were divided into three pre arranged weight categories:
Group 1 light (n = 4); Group 2 medium (n = 6); Group 3
heavy (n = 5). Thus, Group 1 combines three categories
(up to 60 kg, over 60 kg to 66 kg, over 66 kg to 73 kg),
Group 2 combines two (over 73 kg to 81 kg, over 81 kg to
90 kg), and Group 3 combines two (over 90 kg to 100 kg,
over 100 kg) [14, 18]. The research group of male students
from the Warsaw University of Technology was random-
ly selected according to the methodology used since the
1960s as a reference group for comparison particularly of
body building athletes. The male students from the War-
saw University of Technology were drawn from students
of all faculties as follows: names were drawn from lists of
individual faculties, the number of respondents from each
faculty was proportional to the participation of students in
the faculty compared to the total number of students in the
given year of study, the students selected were not prac-
ticing any sport professionally, and all the students had
Polish nationality and were Caucasians.
Anthropometric examinations considered the following
variables: height and body mass, six skinfolds (triceps, bi-
ceps, subscapular, supraspinale, medial-calf, abdominal),
with biceps tensed), girths (waist, hip and calf), breadths
of (wrist, bicondylar humerus and femur, biacromial and
bicristal diameters).
Body height was determined using a SiberHegner an-
thropometer (Switzerland), skinfolds were measured us-
ing a Harpenden skinfold caliper, girth measurements
were acquired with a steel measuring tape, and wrist girth
and bicondylar diameters of the femur and humerus were
measured using a small spreading caliper (SiberHegn-
er, Switzerland). Measurements of body mass and body
composition were carried out using a Model TBF-300
body composition analyzer (Tanita, Japan) adjusted for
STANDARD. Body composition by use of the anthro-
pometric method was estimated by Piechaczek’s method
[24]. Total body fat F (kg, %) and total lean body mass
LBM (kg, %) were then calculated. All measurements
were taken by the same investigator, applying standard
anthropometric methods according to the procedure of
the International Biological Program [30]. BMI and WHR
(waist/hip ratio) indexes were calculated and corrected by
skinfolds, arm girth (tensed and corrected by triceps and
biceps skinfolds) and calf girth (corrected by calf skin-
fold).
Somatotype was calculated by the Heath-Carter meth-
od. Endomorphy was calculated based on the sum of three
The measurements were conducted at the turn of No-
vember and December 2011. All measurements were per-
formed in the morning.
Statistical analysis
using the Mann-Whitney test. The effect size was assessed
–
N, where N is a total number of the subjects.
-
cal calculations were performed using Statistica program
(v. 12, StatSoft).
Results
The participants in the two groups had similar heights
higher in the competitors (p < 0.05). The examined athletes
were characterized by mesomorph body structure with a ro-
the groups were found in the wrist and bicristal breadth,
Table 2. Skinfold thickness (mean±SD): comparison between judoists and male students of Warsaw University of Technology
(WUT)
Variables WUT, [n = 154] Judoists, [n = 15] Z p Effect size (r)
Triceps skinfold [cm] 1.22 ± 0.54 0.77 ± 0.35* –3.70 <0.001 0.285
Axilla skinfold [cm] 1.14 ± 0.63 0.83 ± 0.25 –1.74 0.082 0.134
Subscapular skinfold [cm] 1.33 ± 0.66 1.03 ± 0.24 –1.84 0.066 0.141
Supraspinale skinfold [cm] 1.65 ± 0.84 1.51 ± 0.41 0.09 0.924 0.007
Medial-calf skinfold [cm] 1.15 ± 0.60 0.87 ± 0.34 –1.61 0.108 0.124
Abdominal skinfold [cm] 1.79 ± 0.89 1.31 ± 0.56 –1.93 0.052 0.149
Sum of 6 skinfolds [cm] 8.27 ± 3.70 6.32 ± 1.81* –1.98 0.047 0.152
K. Buśko et al.
10
in arm tensed circumference as well as this circumference
corrected by triceps skinfolds (indicators of muscle mass).
the amount of subcutaneous fat assessed by skinfold thick-
ness (Table 2) and in total body composition (FAT [%],
FFM [kg]) as estimated by BIA and anthropometric meth-
ods (Table 3). The mean somatotype of the judo athletes
was: 3.2 5.9 1.8 (values for endomorphy 3.2 ± 0.8, meso-
morphy 5.9 ± 1.2 and ectomorphy 1.8 ± 1.0, respectively).
Spread of somatotypes was very large on the somatochart,
Table 3. Body tissue composition (mean±SD) of judoists and male students of Warsaw University of Technology (WUT)
ANT – the anthropometric method; variable calculated by Piechaczek’s formula [26]; BIA – variables measured by bioelectrical impedance analy-
Fig. 1. Somatochart of the judoists (n = 15) and male students of Warsaw University of Technology measured 1 (n= 154). The
circles indicate the mean values of somatotype
Students
Judo players
Variables WUT, [n = 154] Judoists, [n = 15] Z p Effect size (r)
Body mass [kg] 75.58 ± 10.93 80.29 ± 15.77 1.22 0.223 0.094
FAT
BIA
[%] 13.26 ± 4.43 10.57 ± 3.80* –2.28 0.022 0.175
FAT
BIA
[kg] 10.39 ± 4.84 8.77 ± 4.29 –1.25 0.213 0.096
FFM
BIA
[kg] 65.19 ± 7.06 71.52 ± 12.96* 4.94 <0.001 0.380
FAT
ANT
[%] 17.07 ± 2.97 14.81 ± 2.15* –2.99 0.002 0.230
FAT
ANT
[kg] 13.10 ± 3.82 11.96 ± 3.21 –1.00 0.322 0.077
FFM
ANT
[kg] 62.49 ± 7.84 68.33 ± 13.22* 1.64 0.102 0.126
Comparison of body composition and somatotype of male students and judoists
11
due to the diversity of body build in judoists belonging to
three different weight categories. The largest diversity was
recorded in the ectomorphy component (range from 0.1
to 3.6) and mesomorphy (range from 4.1 to 8.6).
The lowest ectomorphy and highest mesomorphy were
characteristic for heavy weight category judoists (over
90 kg). The mean somatotype in this weight group was
3.4 7.1 0.9 (3.40 ± 0.68; 7.12 ± 0.89; 0.94 ± 0.59). The high-
est ectomorphy and the lowest endomorphy and mesomor-
phy were characteristic for light weight category competi-
tors (over 60 kg to 73 kg), with an average somatotype
of 2.8 4.8 2.8 (2.80 ± 0.78; 4.80 ± 0.51; 2.78 ± 0.79). This
group was found to have similar characteristics in terms of
somatotype components. The mean values of the compo-
nents of body build in the middle weight category judoists
was 3.3 5.5 1.9 (3.33 ± 1.03; 5.53 ± 0.60; 1.90 ± 0.64), this
being between the previously mentioned categories of
judo athletes. Differentiation of the endomorphy compo-
nent was also very large (range from 2.2 to 5.1 respective-
ly). The mean somatotype of the untrained students was:
3.9 4.6 2.9 (values for endomorphy 3.9 ± 1.6, mesomorphy
4.6 ± 1.1, and ectomorphy 2.9 ± 1.3), characterizing little
participation of mesomorphy and ectomorphy, with a sig-
athletes compared with the non-athletes (Fig. 1). Differen-
tiation of the endomorphy, mesomorphy and ectomorphy
components was very large (ranges of 1.7 8.8, 3.0 8.1 and
0.1 6.0, respectively).
Discussion
Success in judo requires a high level of physical and
performance preparation [8, 9, 18, 21]. The planning of
judo training should not only concern the applied train-
ing loads, but it should also focus on the athletes’ physical
abilities. Research of the body build of judo athletes has
indicated those anthropometric attributes that are required
in this sport. Following from the study of somatotype
of athletes representing various sports, wrestlers and ju-
doists were the most robustly built, with the highest level
of mesomorphy and a very low level of ectomorphy [20].
Research of Ji Woong et al. [18] on 40 elite judo athletes
showed that these athletes were mainly meso-endomorphs
and indicated that the higher the weight category, the more
endomorphic was the somatotype. However, somatotype
distribution of world class judoists in weight categories was
very homogeneous. Comparing results of different authors
studying the physique of judoists, it can be concluded that
with increasing level of competitors in the sport, the value
of mesomorphy increases, whilst the value of endomorphy
decreases [9, 14, 18]. Motor skills, strength and power are
important elements of physical performance in judo, and
these are closely related to the anthropometric variables.
The studies by Lewandowska et al. [21] on Polish judo
players indicated that the values of mesomorphic somato-
-
put. Competitors with higher levels of mesomorphy can
develop greater acceleration and overcome greater exter-
study had a similar contribution of components in body
build (3.2 5.9 1.8) as did the Polish judo athletes ( 2.8 5.7 1.5)
selected for Sydney 2000 [20], as well as for the national
team examined in 2013, in which the assessment of inter-
nal proportions of the body build was achieved by Perkal’s
natural indicators [14]. Polish high level judoists are not
inferior in somatotype to elite Spanish (4.9 4.6 1.2) [9] or
Korean (2.3 5.0 1.1) judo competitors [18]. Male athletes
examined by us even had high values of mesomorphy
in body composition with a similar mean body height
(177.4 ± 8.5 cm; 176.7 ± 6.7 cm; 175.5 ± 7.2 cm, respec-
this sport seems to be optimal for achieving high results,
because the mean somatic features of Polish elite judo ath-
letes selected by the Heath-Carter method has not changed
since the 1990s. The same height (177.5 ± 9.2 cm),
similar characteristics of the skeleton (bicondylar femur
10.12 ± 0.61 cm and humerus 7.28 ± 0.44 cm) and the
body circumference (arm 33.8±3.3 cm and calf girths
38.8±2.8 cm) of the judo competitors qualifying for the
Olympic Games in Sydney [20] compared well to our
results (177.4±8.5 cm; 9.93 ± 0.62 cm; 7.28 ± 0.43 cm;
34.05 ± 3.81 cm; 37.10 ± 3.72 cm). The difference in mor-
phological build of athletes according to weight category
in athletes in light, medium and heavy groups was similar
weight group, so the value of the endomorphic component
was higher and the value of the ectomorphy component
was lower, with this division into weight groups bringing
together judoists with similar somatotypes to those indi-
cated by the physique of the Korean judoists in relation to
their weight category [18].
On the other hand, investigations of top Polish judo
players and untrained students conducted by different
authors [14, 20] found that the FAT estimated by the an-
thropometric method [24] of the competitors ( 11.2 14.7%)
was lower than for the control group ( 14.4%–15.7%).
the control group (students of the Warsaw University of
Technology 2011) in terms of body fat (14.8%, 17.1%,
respectively). This result can be seen in other studies
which compare Korean elite male judo athletes with Ko-
rean nonathletes [18].