Anthropometric Somatotype of Indian Combat Sports and Track and Field Athletes: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Introduction: The utilization of anthropometric somatotyping is prevalent in sports. Recognizing a shared physical prototype and its link to athletic performance in athletes is widely accepted. Therefore, it is crucial to explore this aspect among Indian athletes. The study attempted to systematically collect and analyse existing published literature covering the timeframe from 2003 to June 2023, particularly emphasizing the somatotyping of Indian athletes engaged in combat sports and track and field events. Additionally, efforts were made to assess the prominent accomplishments and constraints evident in the published works during the specified period. Methods: Published studies were collected from various academic databases viz., Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, SCISPASE, and Semantic Scholar. Appropriate inclusion and exclusion criteria were drafted, and the studies were selected accordingly. Somatotype categories of individual studies were computed and plotted in the somatocharts following Carter’s method. Results: Sixteen studies comprising 887 athletes (746 males and 141 females) were deemed suitable for inclusion in this review. The combat sports subgroup constituted 361 athletes, and the track and field subgroup comprised 526 athletes. Wrestlers exhibited the highest levels of endomorphy and mesomorphy in combat sports, while junior boxers displayed the highest ectomorphy. In track and field, hammer throwers demonstrated the highest endomorphy, shot putters exhibited the greatest mesomorphy, and the highest ectomorphy characterized high jumpers. Conclusion: The somatocharts highlight a shared physical prototype among athletes within the same sport, notably evident in wrestling, hammer throw, shot put, and jump events. However, research on combat sports trails behind studies in track and field. The scarcity of research on somatotyping among Indian elite athletes and female athletes, coupled with a deficiency in interdisciplinary approaches in kinanthropometry studies in India, underscores the need for heightened integrative investigations.