Examination on the anthropometric features and somatotypes of the male children at the age of 16

Objectives: The aim of the study is to examine the anthropometric values and the somatotypes of male children from different branches in physical education lessons and regular movement training. Methods: Two hundred and eighteen volunteer subjects at the age of 16, namely, 68 soccer players, 89 persons practising fitness and 70 sedentary have participated in the study. In the research, sitting height, crawl length, body width parameters, body environment and somatotypic parameters of the subjects are measured. In this work, the highest humeral width value is achieved by the soccer group, where it is found to be no different from the fitness group (P>0.05) and to be significantly higher than the sedentary group (P<0.05). When femur width parameter is examined, it is determined that the soccer group is higher than the other two groups and that the fitness group is significantly higher than the sedentary group. In the study, while the highest endomorph value is obtained from sedentary group, it is found to be significantly higher than the other two groups (P<0.05). While the highest mesomorph value is achieved from soccer group and the lowest value is achieved from sedentary group, it is determined that each of these three groups is significantly different from one another (P<0.05). While the highest ectomorph value is achieved from fitness group (P<0.05), it is found to be significantly higher than the other two groups (P<0.05). Conclusions: Consequently, it can be said that the soccer players have more optimal dimension, environment and somatotypical structure when compared to those practising fitness and the sedentary group (P<0.05). © 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS.