KS4 Physical

Education
Body Types

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 Learning objectives

What we will learn in this presentation:

The characteristics of the three extreme

somatotypes
How different somatotypes are suited to
different physical activities
How body shape can be altered
Definitions of ‘overweight’, ‘overfat’ and ‘obese’
How body fat can be measured
How weight can affect performance.

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Somatotypes

People come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Body type

or physique can greatly affect performance in different
activities.
Body type is also known as somatotype.
A performer’s somatotype can be measured against the
three extreme somatotypes:

Endomorph Mesomorph Ectomorph

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Endomorph

Extreme endomorphs have the following characteristics:

A lot of body fat

A lot of fat on the
upper arms and
thighs
Wide hips and
narrow shoulders
Fairly slim wrists
and ankles

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Mesomorph

Extreme mesomorphs have the following characteristics:

Very little body fat

A muscular body
Broad shoulders
and narrow hips
A large head
Strong forearms
and thighs

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Ectomorph

Extreme ectomorphs have the following characteristics:

Very little muscle or

body fat
Narrow hips and
shoulders
Thin legs and arms
A narrow chest and
abdomen
Thin face and high
forehead

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Which somatotype?

All performers are made up of elements of these three

extreme somatotypes.
Most people have a mixture of mesomorphic, endomorphic
and ectomorphic characteristics.
A person’s somatotype can be graded using a scoring system.
They are given 3 scores between 1 and 7, according to how
well they conform to each of the extreme somatotypes.
1 is a low score, 7 is a high score. For example:

1, 7, 2
Low endomorph High mesomorph Low ectomorph

What would a person with this score look like?

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Mesomorph

The mesomorphic
shape is the most
common body shape
among elite
performers.
This is because most
sports requiring power
or speed will favour
strong, muscular limbs
and low body fat which
are associated with the
mesomorphic shape.

The American swimmer, Michael Phelps, has

a classic mesomorphic body shape.
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Which somatotype?

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Somatotype charts

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Somatotypes in sport

Certain somatotypes tend to be found in certain sports.

The ideal somatotype for a performer will depend on their
sport or event. In some cases, the position that they play in
a particular sport might
also be important.

Consider, for example,

the various body sizes
and shapes in a rugby
team.

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Somatotypes in sport

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Altering body shape

Body type is largely determined by the genes you inherit

from your parents.
However, you can alter your somatotype by training, or
by changing your diet.

Eating more Weight training Eating less and/or

and/or exercising will increase exercising more
less will increase muscle size, will decrease your
your body fat, making you body fat, making
making you more more you more
endomorphic. mesomorphic. ectomorphic.

Dramatically changing your body shape is

difficult and can be damaging to your
health. Big changes are hard to maintain.
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Weight

Every individual has their own optimum weight – the weight

at which they are healthy and able to perform at their best.
Your optimum weight depends on a number of factors:

Height – In general, the taller you

are, the more you should weigh.

Sex – Men usually have a higher optimum

weight than women of the same height.

Bone structure – Some people have

bigger bones and are naturally heavily
built, without being overweight.

Muscle girth – People with big, well-developed

muscles can weigh a lot without being overweight.
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Overweight and overfat

A person who is significantly heavier than their optimum

weight is classed as overweight.
Being overweight is not necessarily harmful as it is possible
for the extra weight to be in the form of muscle.
However, if the extra weight is in the form of fat, then the
person is classed as overfat. This means that an abnormally
large percentage of their body is composed of fat.

Men are overfat if Women are overfat

more than 19% of if more than 25% of
their body is fat. their body is fat.

Being overfat can affect your health, increasing

your risk of heart disease and other illnesses.
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Obesity

Obese people are people who are extremely overweight.

Men are obese if Women are obese

more than 25% of if more than 30%
their body is fat. of their body is fat.

Obesity is very damaging to health. As well as heart disease,

obese people run a higher risk of diabetes, varicose veins,
menstrual disorders, infertility, skin diseases, liver disorders,
cancer, joint problems and even depression.
Very obese people can be classed as morbidly obese,
meaning that they are so overweight that it is endangering
their life.

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Obesity

© EMPICS Ltd
Being obese does not stop you from becoming a
successful performer in some sports. Andy Fordham
was World Darts Champion in 2004.
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Underweight

Being significantly below your optimum weight can

also be bad for you.
The body needs some fat reserves – underweight
individuals have a lower resistance to infection and can
find it difficult to recover from illness. They may feel
constantly tired and bone strength may deteriorate.
Underweight women can have trouble getting pregnant.
It is recommended that:

men should not women should not

have less than have less than
5% body fat. 10% body fat.

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Weight

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Weight charts

A rough way to
determine
whether
someone is
overweight or
not is to use a
height-to-
weight chart.

The results are

fairly arbitrary and
take no account
of muscle bulk
and frame.

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Weight charts

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Measuring fat

In terms of health, a person’s weight is less important

than the amount of fat they have.
Unfortunately, it is quite difficult to measure the amount
of fat in a person without laboratory equipment. An
estimate can be obtained using skin-fold callipers.
The thickness of the skin and outer
layer of fat is measured in four places:
biceps
triceps
subscapula (bottom of
the shoulderblade)
supra-iliac (abdomen).

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Body Mass Index (BMI)

Another way of estimating body fat is to calculate

an individual’s body mass index (or BMI).
BMI is calculated by dividing the individual’s weight
(in kilograms) by their height (in metres) squared.

weight (kg)
BMI =
height2

So, a person who weighs 70 kg and is 1.70 m

tall has a BMI of: 70
= 24.2
1.702

A BMI of 19–25 is considered healthy.

Over 30 is obese.
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Body mass index

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Body mass index (BMI)

BMI is not an appropriate test for everyone. It is calculated

using a person’s height and weight only and does not take
account of build and lifestyle.

1. Why do you think that a bodybuilder might

be classed as too heavy by a BMI test, despite
having very little body fat?

2. Under what circumstances could a person

with too much body fat be classed as normal by
a BMI test?

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Weight and performance

A person’s weight can have a dramatic effect on their

performance in different activities.
In some sports, it is advantageous to be heavy.
Heavy wrestlers can be
harder to topple because
their centre of gravity is
lower.

In some sports it is advantageous to be light.

Being light makes it easier
for female gymnasts to
keep their balance and
control their momentum.

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Weight and performance

Being overweight for your activity due to overeating can

harm performance.
The heavier your body is, the harder it is to move.
An overweight performer may suffer from:
reduced stamina, due to having more
weight to carry
reduced flexibility
reduced agility.

They may also suffer from the more general health problems
associated with being overweight, which could affect their
participation and performance.
Obese individuals can find it difficult to
participate in physical activities.
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Weight and performance

In some sports, performers may come under so much

pressure to lose weight that they become underweight or
start undereating.
In extreme cases this can lead to anorexia.
Performers who undereat often lack energy
and concentration. Their strength and
stamina may decline.
In sports like boxing or horse racing, in which
competitors must be a certain weight,
performers may end up using sweatsuits,
saunas and even drugs in order to lose
weight quickly. These methods can lead to
severe dehydration, damaging performance.

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Anorexia nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is a psychiatric illness which has acute

effects on the physical body. Those suffering from anorexia
nervosa can have a distorted view of their body and a
preoccupation with thoughts about food and weight.

Physically, anorexia nervosa is characterised by:

extreme weight loss

a body mass index of less that 17.5 in adults
stunted growth
mineral and vitamin deficiencies
reduced immune system and poor circulation

Anorexia nervosa is a very serious condition

and can, in cases, lead to fatalities.
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Eating disorders in sport

Most elite athletes monitor their weight carefully. However,

athletes that follow unsupervised diets and excessive training
can run the risk of developing an eating disorder.
Some sports have been identified as more
‘high-risk’ for the likelihood of elite athletes
developing easting disorders. These include:
swimming diving
running wrestling
gymnastics judo
Athletes need to carefully monitor their weight and training and
take proper medical advice if attempting weight loss.

Losing or gaining weight too quickly can have

negative impacts on an individual’s physical health.
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Effects of undereating and overeating

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Summary

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Exam-style questions
1. a) Describe the physical appearance of a performer
with an extremely ectomorphic body shape.
b) Give an example of an activity that this performer is
likely to be suited to and explain why this activity
favours ectomorphic individuals.

2. a) What is meant by a performer’s optimum weight?

b) Explain why the optimum weight of a female ballet
dancer will differ from that of a male sprinter of the
same height.

3. Describe how undereating may affect an individual’s

performance?

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