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Relationship of body composition to somatotype
Author(s) -
Slaughter M. H.,
Lohman T. G.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/ajpa.1330440205
Subject(s) - lean body mass , composition (language) , body weight , somatotypes , component (thermodynamics) , mathematics , statistics , zoology , anthropometry , medicine , biology , endocrinology , art , physics , thermodynamics , literature
The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship in college‐aged women between somatotype using both Sheldon's ('69) and Heath and Carter's ('67) procedures, and body composition, as measured by whole‐body 40 K counting and body density. Sheldon's endomorphy is closely associated with height and weight; Heath and Carter's first component is significantly related to weight and body fatness. Lean body mass (LBM) as a weight or as a percent is not closely related to Sheldon's mesomorphy or Heath and Carter's second component. However, when LBM and height are used as independent variables to estimate somatotype, both variables are significantly related to Heath and Carter's second component, accounting for 61% of the variance. Thus, Heath and Carter's second component is significantly associated with LBM for a given body height. Most of the variation in Sheldon's ectomorphy and Heath and Carter's third component can be accounted for by weight and height. Sheldon's somatotype for all three components is not as closely related to body composition as Heath‐Carter's. Body composition, as measured by either 40 K counting or body density, is found to be important in accounting for variation in Heath and Carter's first and second components.