Somatotypes of elite male and female junior sambo athletes

Abstract

Background and Study Aim: Sambo is a relatively novel international martial art founded back in the 1930’s. It is mainly characterised by specific throws, holds, arm and leg locks, where successful performance depend on a specific technique and tactical skills along with optimal physical fitness. The aim of the present study was somatotype and anthropometric profiles of elite junior sambo athletes divided by weight categories. Material and Methods: A total of 156 elite junior sambo athletes from 34 countries participants of the World Youth and Junior Sambo Championships participated in the study (52 females and 104 males from 10 weight categories). Anthropometrical variables were taken in order to calculate somatotypes. A one-way analysis of variance and Tukey’s post hoc test were used to compare groups by weight categories and effect sizesη22 were calculated as well. Results: Results of this study provide the first description of the anthropometrical profile and somatotype of elite male and female junior sambo athletes. A typical somatotype in male sambo athletes was endomorphic mesomorph with indicating a predominance of musculoskeletal tissue, while female athletes were classified as endomorphic mesomorph and mesomorphic endomorph in relation with weight division. Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of distinguishing between categories during the training and selection processes since sambo athletes have a specific body composition in function of the weight category in which they compete.