Anthropometrical profile of elite Spanish Judoka: Comparative analysis among ages

Abstract

Background Judo athletes usually try to maximize muscle mass and to minimize adiposity in each weight category, but few studies focused on comparisons of different age categories and little is known about sexual dimorphism among judo athletes. The aim of the study was to compare anthropometrical variables in male and female judoka from Spanish National Teams. Material/Methods: Eighty-seven national level Spanish judoka from all seven weight categories took part in this study: females (n=46) - cadet (n=16), junior (n=12) and senior (n=18); males (n=44) - cadet (n=18), junior (n=15) and senior (n=8). Body mass, height, skinfold thickness, circumferences and breadth anthropometric measurements were carried out. Somatotype components, body mass index, body fat and muscle mass were also estimated. A two way (gender and age groups) analysis of variance and Tukey test were used to compare groups. Results: (1) males were heavier, taller, had lower body fat and higher muscle mass absolute and relative values, circumferences and bone diameters, lower endomorphic and higher mesomorphic components than females; (2) for skinfold thickness males presented lower values in limbs' sites than females, but no difference was found in trunk skinfold thicknesses; (3) few differences were found among age categories, with cadets presenting smaller flexed arm circumference and humerus epicondyle bone breadth compared to junior and seniors, and lower absolute muscle mass compared to seniors; (4) tendency for reducing sexual dimorphism in some anthropological dimensions and in endomorphic and mesomorphic components was observed across age categories. Conclusions: Morphologically high level cadet judo athletes are quite similar to older athletes and coaches can select them from these ages. These data can be used as reference to coaches and physical conditioning professionals.

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Anthropometrical profile of elite Spanish Judoka:
Comparative analysis among ages
Emerson Franchini1ACDE, JR Huertas2ABDE, Stanislaw Sterkowicz3ACDE,
Vicente Carratalá4ABE, Carlos Gutiérrez-García5ADE, Raquel Escobar-Molina6ABCDE
1
School of Physical Education, Sport Department, Martial Arts and Combat Sports Research Group, University of São Paulo, Brazil
2 Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, University of Granada, Spain
3 Department of Theory and Methodology of Combat Sports, University School of Physical Education in Cracow, Poland
4 Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Department of Physical Education and Sports, University of Valencia, Spain
5 Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Department of Physical Education and Sports, University of León, Spain
6
Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Department of Physical Education and Sports, University of Granada, Spain
Source of support: This research was supported in 2010 by the Consejo Superior de Deportes, Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia
[Higher Council of Sports, Ministry of Education and Culture] (reference 33/UPB10/10)
Received: 1 September 2011; Accepted: 21 October 2011; Published online: 30 November 2011
Abstract
Background
Judo athletes usually try to maximize muscle mass and to minimize adiposity in each weight category, but few
studies focused on comparisons of different age categories and little is known about sexual dimorphism among
judo athletes. The aim of the study was to compare anthropometrical variables in male and female judoka from
Spanish National Teams.
Material/Methods:
Eighty-seven national level Spanish judoka from all seven weight categories took part in this study: females (n=46)
– cadet (n=16), junior (n=12) and senior (n=18); males (n=44) – cadet (n=18), junior (n=15) and senior (n=8).
Body mass, height, skinfold thickness, circumferences and breadth anthropometric measurements were carried out.
Somatotype components, body mass index, body fat and muscle mass were also estimated. A two way (gender and
age groups) analysis of variance and Tukey test were used to compare groups.
Results:
(1) males were heavier, taller, had lower body fat and higher muscle mass absolute and relative values, circumfer-
ences and bone diameters, lower endomorphic and higher mesomorphic components than females; (2) for skin-
fold thickness males presented lower values in limbs’ sites than females, but no difference was found in trunk skin-
fold thicknesses; (3) few differences were found among age categories, with cadets presenting smaller flexed arm
circumference and humerus epicondyle bone breadth compared to junior and seniors, and lower absolute muscle
mass compared to seniors; (4) tendency for reducing sexual dimorphism in some anthropological dimensions and
in endomorphic and mesomorphic components was observed across age categories.
Conclusions:
Morphologically high level cadet judo athletes are quite similar to older athletes and coaches can select them from
these ages. These data can be used as reference to coaches and physical conditioning professionals.
Key words:
Judo • martial arts • skinfold thickness • bone diameters • circumferences • combat sports
Author’s address:
Raquel Escobar-Molina, Facultad de Ciencias de la Actividad Física y del Deporte, Universidad de Granada. Ctra.
Alfacar S/N, 18071 – Granada, Spain; e-mail: rescobar@ugr.es
Background
Judo is a weight-classified, high-intensity combat sport
where the athlete attempts to throw the opponent onto
his/her back or to control him/her during groundwork
combat [1]. Additionally, judo athletes are classified ac-
cording to their ages and compete in international level
tournaments (e.g., World Championships) in the follow-
ing age divisions: cadets – under 17 years-old; juniors –
under 20 years-old; and seniors – above 20 years-old. It
and Study Aim:
Authors’ Contribution:
A Study Design
B Data Collection
C Statistical Analysis
D Manuscript Preparation
E Funds Collection
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is known that judo players usually try to maximize mus-
cle mass and to minimize adiposity in each weight cate-
gory, and that this process starts at the early adolescence
in an attempt to increase power-body mass ratio [2].
Furthermore, the body structure can play a determin-
ing role in the achievement of top judo performance
[3,4], and it seems to influence the type of techniques
applied [5]. Moreover, body fat has been reported to be
negatively associated with judo athletes’ performance in
both aerobic and anaerobic tests [5,6]. Therefore, several
studies have aimed to obtain anthropometrical parame-
ters, such as body composition, bone diameter and cir-
cumferences, due to their utmost importance for perfor-
mance [3,5–9]. Callister et al. [10] eported smaller body
fat percentage in higher-ranked judo athletes, compared
with non-high level athletes (5.1±0.6% vs. 8.2±0.8%).
Additionally, Kubo et al. [9] demonstrated that judo ath-
letes who participated in the Olympic Games or Asian
Games had significantly larger fat-free mass than universi-
ty judo athletes who did not participate in intercollegiate
competitions. Kim et al. [7] found that for internation-
al level Korean judo athletes muscle mass was positively
related to anaerobic performance, while for lower level
judo athletes (junior and university level competitors)
this was not observed. However, Franchini et al. [11] did
not find any significant difference in skinfold thickness
between elite and nonelite judo players, but identified
higher circumference values (flexed arm, forearm, wrist
and medial calf) and breadths (humerus and femur epi-
condyles) in elite when compared to nonelite athletes.
Despite the fact that judo athletes start to compete early
in their careers [12], the re-edition of the Cadet World
Championship in 2009 and the inclusion of judo in the
Youth Olympic Games, few studies focused on compar-
isons of different age categories [13]. Additionally, little
is known about sexual dimorphism among judo athletes
[14]. In fact, recently Franchini et al. [1] suggested that
little is known regarding the differences among weight
classes, age groups and sexes. The knowledge of the an-
thropometrical characteristics of different age groups and
genders can help in the process of talent identification and
promotion, as well as better nutrition suport to these ath-
letes. Thus, the purpose of this study was to compare an-
thropometrical variables in male and female judo athletes
from cadet, junior and senior Spanish National Teams.
Material and Methods
Participants
The sample was composed by 87 national level Spanish
judo athletes from all seven weight categories (Spanish
National Teams). These athletes competed in cadet,
junior and senior divisions: females (n=46) – cadet
(n=16; age = 16.5±0.4 years-old), junior (n=12; age
=18.6±0.5 years-old) and senior (n=18; age =24.1±0.4
years-old); males (n=44) – cadet (n=18; age =16.7±0.4
years-old), junior (n=15; age =18.9±0.5 years-old) and
senior (n=8; age =22.1±0.6 years-old). All participants
took part voluntarily in the study after being informed
about the procedures involved (risks and benefits), and
signed an informed consent agreement form, previously
approved by the local Ethics’ Committee. All the ath-
letes were at the competitive period and were not en-
gaged in any weight loss procedure at the week of the
measurements, as all subjects were evaluated one week
after the national championship. Their competitive lev-
el was national and international.
Anthropometrical measurements
The following anthropometric measurements were car-
ried out: body mass, height, skinfold thickness (biceps,
triceps, subscapular, supraspinale, abdominal, front
thigh, and medial calf), circumferences (flexed arm, thigh
and medial calf) and breadth (humerus and femur epi-
condyles and wrist). Skinfold thickness measurements
(Harpenden plicometer; John Bull British Indicators
®
,
England; constant pressure of 10 g/mm and precision of
0.2 mm) were carried out three times on each point in
a rotation system, as described by Heyward [15]. A re-
searcher with more than 15 years of experience in this
measurement procedure carried it out, presenting a vari-
ation of less than 2.29% between measurements, with
reproducibility determined by an intra-class correlation
coefficient of 0.987, within the assessment performance
period. The breadths and circumferences were measured
only once at each point by the same experienced eval-
uator, who presented less than 0.89% of variation be-
tween measurements.
Body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Somatotype was
determined using the procedures described by Carter and
Heath [16]. Body fat [17] and muscle mass [18] were
calculated according to the International Society for the
Advancement of Kinanthropometry [19]. These values
were expressed in both absolute and relative (%) terms.
Statistical analysis
Data are presented as mean ±standard error. Levene’s
test was used to test the null hypothesis that the error
variance of the dependent variable is equal across groups,
which was the case. A two way (gender and age groups)
analysis of variance and Tukey test were used to com-
pare groups. Effect size was calculated by means of eta-
squared which describes the proportion of total variabil-
ity attributable to the factor. The level of significance
Judo – an educational
system created by Jigoro
Kano, literally meaning the
“gentle way”. In this article
we refer to the competitive
aspect of judo.
Martial arts – systems
of codified practices and
traditions of combat, initially
created for warrior purposes,
and nowadays practiced for a
variety of reasons, including
self-defense, competition,
physical conditioning etc.
Skinfold thickness – a
measure of the amount of
subcutaneous fat, obtained
by inserting a fold of skin
into the jaws of a caliper.
Bone diameters – a distance
measurement through bone’s
extremities.
Circumferences – in this
study, the distance around a
body segment.
Combat sports – are
competitive contact sports
where two combatants fight
against each other using
certain rules of engagement”.
Cited from The influence of the
wrestling technique on contact
efficiency of young male team
handball players. Nikola Foretić,
Hrvoje Karninčić, Ognjen
Uljević. Arch Budo, 2011;
7(2): OA87–91.
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was set at 5%. All analyses were conducted using SPSS
13.0. Looking for a size of sexual dimorphism in an-
thropometric dimensions within the three age group the
two steps ratio (SDI) was used [20]: (1) if M ≥F, SDI
= M/F; (2) if F ≥M, SDI =2 – F/M, where M and F are
respective male and female means.
results
Table 1 presents judo athletes’ body mass, height, BMI
and skinfold thickness.
Body mass (F
1.81
=18.2; P<0.001; eta squared =0.18)
and height (F
1.81
=58.0; P<0.001; eta squared =0.42)
differed between genders, with males being heavier
and taller (P<0.001 for both variables) than females.
However, BMI did not differ between genders (P>0.05).
For skinfold thickness, some differences were found.
Males presented lower values of biceps skinfold thick-
ness (F1.81 =4.3.;P=0.042; eta squared =0.05) compared
to females (P=0.04). For triceps skinfold thickness an
interaction effect was found (F
2.81
=3.2; P=0.046; eta
squared =0.07). The post hoc test indicated that cadet
(P=0.046) and junior males (P=0.042) had lower val-
ues compared to junior females. For subscapular, supra-
spinale and abdomen skinfold thicknesses no effect of
gender or age group were found (P>0.05). Thigh (F
1.81
=30.7; P<0.001; eta squared =0.28) and medial calf
(F
1.81
=13.0; P<0.001; eta squared =0.14) skinfold thick-
ness differed between genders, with lower values in males
(P<0.001 for both comparisons) compared to females.
Table 2 presents judo athletes’ bone breadths and
circumferences.
Females Males
Cadet Junior Senior Cadet Junior Senior
Body mass (kg)* 58.2±4.8 70.7±5.0 64.7±4.1 78.5±4.1 82.5±4.5 82.5±6.2
Height (cm)* 162.3±1.9 165.6±2.2 163.3±1.8 173.7±1.8 176.7±2.0 179.8±2.7
Body mass index (kg/m2) 21.8±1.2 25.6±1.4 24.2±1.2 25.8±1.2 26.1±1.3 25.4±1.7
Skinfold thickness (mm)
Biceps* 7.0±1.0 8.7±1.2 6.3±1.0 7.2±1.0 5.5±1.1 3.7±1.4
Triceps 12.2±1.6 16.4±1.9 14.6±1.5 11.7±1.5 8.5±1.7 6.9±2.3
Subscapular 13.5±2.5 17.7±2.9 15.0±2.4 15.0±2.4 14.5±2.6 9.5±3.5
Supraspinale 10.0±2.6 15.5±3.0 9.6±2.4 12.9±2.4 12.6±2.7 6.5±3.7
Abdomen 14.9±3.0 19.7±3.4 15.8±2.8 16.8±2.8 15.0±3.1 9.3±4.2
Thigh 28.9±3.0 34.5±3.5 27.5±2.9 19.2±2.9 17.0±3.1 9.5±1.0
Medial calf 20.3±2.2 26.1±2.6 19.0±2.1 17.4±2.1 12.8±2.3 13.6±3.2
Table 1. Body mass (kg), height (cm), body mass index (kg/m
2
) and skinfold thickness (mm) of male and female judo
athletes from cadet, junior and senior categories.
* Gender eect (P<0.05). Data are mean ± standard error.
Females Males
Cadet Junior Senior Cadet Junior Senior
Bone breadth (cm)
Wrist* 4.9±0.1 5.0±0.1 5.0±0.1 5.5±0.1 5.6±0.1 5.8±0.1
Humerus*,** 5.5±0.1 6.0±0.1 5.9±0.1 6.7±0.1 6.8±0.1 6.9±0.2
Femur* 8.8±0.2 9.0±0.2 8.9±0.2 9.9±0.2 9.9±0.2 9.8±0.3
Circumferences (cm)
Flexed arm*,** 27.8±0.9 31.3±1.1 32.5±0.9 32.0±0.9 33.7±1.0 35.6±1.3
Thigh* 47.3±1.6 51.9±1.9 52.0±1.5 52.9±1.5 54.1±1.7 53.5±2.3
Medial calf* 34.7±1.1 37.3±1.2 35.6±1.0 39.1±1.0 38.4±1.1 38.0±1.5
Table 2. Bone breadths (cm) and circumferences (cm) of male and female judo athletes from cadet, junior and senior
categories.
* Gender eect (P<0.05); ** age group eect (P<0.05). Data are mean ± standard error.
Franchini E et al – Anthropometrical profile of elite Spanish Judoka…
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Bone breadths also differed among groups. Wrist (F
1.81
=61.4; P<0.001; eta squared =0.43), humerus epicon-
dyle (F
1.81
=99.2; P<0.001; eta squared =0.55) and fe-
mur epicondyle breadths (F1.81 =32.7; P<0.001; eta
squared =0.29) were bigger in males compared to fe-
males (P<0.001 for all variables). For humerus epicon-
dyle there was also an effect of age group (F
2.81
=5.6;
P=0.005; eta squared =0.12), with cadets presenting
smaller breadths compared to juniors (P=0.015) and
seniors (P=0.032).
For medial calf (F
1.81
=32.7; P<0.001; eta squared
=0.29), thigh (F
1.81
=32.7; P<0.001; eta squared =0.29)
and flexed arm circumferences (F
1.81
=32.7; P<0.001;
eta squared =0.29) men presented higher values com-
pared to females (P=0.01; P=0.032 and P<0.001 for
medial calf, thigh and flexed arm, respectively). There
was an effect of age group on flexed arm circumference
(F
2.81
=8.6; P<0.001; eta squared =0.18), with cadets
presenting lower values compared to juniors (P=0.039)
and seniors (P<0.001).
Table 3 presents body fat and muscle mass in absolute
and relative terms in judo athletes from different gen-
ders and age groups.
Significant differences between genders were detect-
ed for both absolute (F
1.81
=7.2; P=0.009; eta squared
=0.08) and relative body fat (F1.81 =44.9; P<0.001; eta
squared =0.36), with lower values for males compared
to females (P=0.008 for absolute and P<0.001 for rel-
ative body fat). Muscle mass absolute (F1.81 =106.0;
P<0.001; eta squared =0.57) and relative values (F
1.81
=29.7; P<0.001; eta squared =0.27) differed between
genders, with higher values for males compared to fe-
males (P<0.001 for both variables). Absolute mus-
cle mass also differed between age groups (F
2.81
=5.8;
P=0.005; eta squared =0.27), with lower values in ca-
dets compared to seniors (P=0.005).
Table 4 presents the somatotypes of judo athletes from
different genders and age categories.
There was a significant difference between gender in
the endomorphic component (F
1.81
=6.6; P=0.012;
eta squared =0.08), with males presenting a lower val-
ue compared to females (P=0.011). A significant differ-
ence also existed between genders concerning the meso-
morphic component (F1.81 =10.1; P=0.002; eta squared
=0.11), with higher values in males compared to females
(P=0.002). No difference was found between groups in
the ectomorphic component (P>0.05).
Analysis of data presented in Tables 1–4 shows a
trend of decrease sexual dimorphism (SDI) in an-
thropometric dimensions, which is revealed across
age. Cadets had higher SDI than juniors, which have
higher SDI than seniors, as documented in skinfolds
thickness: triceps (1.81>0.07>–0.12), subscapular
(1.11>0.78>0.42), supraspinale (1.29>0.77>0.52),
abdomen 1.13>0.69>0.30), and in consequence
in body fat percentage (0.39>–0.26>–0.49. The
same pattern was revealed in thigh circumference
(1.10>1.04>1.03). Similar trends across age categories
Females Males
Cadet Junior Senior Cadet Junior Senior
Body fat (kg)* 12.1±2.3 18.0±2.7 14.3±2.2 10.6±2.2 9.8±2.4 7.1±3.3
Body fat (%)* 19.5±1.8 24.0±2.1 19.9±1.7 12.1±1.7 10.6±1.9 8.0±2.6
Muscle mass (kg)*,** 25.0±1.6 28.5±1.8 27.8±1.5 37.4±1.5 40.8±1.6 45.8±2.2
Muscle mass (%)* 44.0±1.5 41.5±1.7 44.7±1.4 48.5±1.4 50.3±1.5 53.2±2.1
Table 3. Body fat and muscle mass in absolute (kg) and relative (%) values of male and female judo athletes from cadet,
junior and senior categories.
* Gender eect (P<0.05); ** age group eect (P<0.05). Data are mean ± standard error.
Females Males
Cadet Junior Senior Cadet Junior Senior
Endomorphy 3.6±0.5 4.9±0.6 3.8±0.5 3.6±0.5 3.2±0.5 2.1±0.7
Mesomorphy 3.5±0.3 4.6±0.4 4.8±0.3 5.2±0.3 5.3±0.4 5.2±0.5
Ectomorphy 2.4±0.3 1.2±0.3 1.7±0.3 1.9±0.3 1.7±0.3 1.6±0.4
Table 4. Endomorphy, mesomorphy and ectomorphy components of male and female judo athletes from cadet, junior
and senior categories.
Data are mean ± standard error.
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were observed in endomorphy (1.00>0.47>0.19) and
mesomorphy (1.49>1.15>1.08), but not in ectomor-
phy (0.74<1.42>0.94).
Furthermore, judo athletes’ somatotype analysis present-
ed in Figure 1 shows mostly endomorphic-mesomorph
body type (senior females; cadet and junior males). Two
groups were classified as meso-endomorphic (cadet and
junior females). Senior males presented balanced meso-
morphic somatotype.
discussion
The objective of the present study was to characterize
and compare anthropometrical variables in male and fe-
male judo athletes from cadet, junior and senior cate-
gories. The main results were the following: (1) males
were heavier, taller, had lower body fat and higher mus-
cle mass percentage and absolute values, higher circum-
ferences and bone diameters, lower endomorphic and
higher mesomorphic components than females; (2) for
skinfold thickness males presented lower values in limbs’
sites than females, but no difference was found in trunk
skinfold thicknesses; (3) few differences were found
among age categories, with cadets presenting smaller
flexed arm circumference and humerus epicondyle bone
breadth compared to junior and seniors, and lower abso-
lute muscle mass compared to seniors; (4) tendency for
reducing sexual dimorphism in some anthropological di-
mensions and in endomorphy and mesomorphy somato-
type components was observed across the age categories.
The mean value of body mass index for junior fe-
males and for all groups of males was above the normal
weight status World Health Organization classifica-
tion (i.e., 25.0 kg·m
–2
). Values presented by our sam-
ple were above that reported by Úbeda et al. [21] with
the Spanish National Team (24.3 kg·m–2), although the
range (21.9–38.2 kg·m
–2
) reported by them is also wide,
which can be a consequence of the different weight cat-
egories. Despite the higher than normal BMI, our sam-
ple presented lower values of body fat percentage when
compared to non-athletes [15].
Previous sample of national level Spanish judo players
(n=72; 42 females and 30 males, aged between 16–30 years
old) presented lower body fat percentage (10.99±2.67%
for females and 7.34±1.37% for males) [22].
When the results of body fat percentage of our sample are
compared to other studies with World and Olympic level
judo athletes, values slightly lower are found in the liter-
ature, i.e., values below 10% for males [5,6,10,13,23–25]
and near 16% for females [10,13,24,25]. This seems to
confirm the assumption that high level judo athletes
must have a very small percentage of body fat compared
with an average male of the same height and age [1], al-
though only one study reported a significant difference
in body fat among best ranked judo athletes and low-
er ranked ones [10].
When the mesomorphic somatotype component is con-
sidered, the athletes from our sample presented values
slightly lower than those reported in both male [3,23]
and female international level judo athletes [1]. However,
when the values in different components are considered,
our sample confirmed that judo athletes generally have
a profile that accentuates the mesomorphic properties
(very high muscularity, low linearity and low fat), while
among females, the endomorphic component has val-
ues near to the mesomorphic one [1].
Few studies have analyzed the anthropometric profile of
high level female judo athletes [26,27]. Measuring skin-
fold thickness of female Filipino judo athletes, Pieter et
al. [27] reported similar results in triceps, subscapular and
suprailiac, higher values in abdominal and lower values in
thigh and medial calf sites compared to our female sample.
On the other hand, the senior male group of our sam-
ple presented lower values of triceps, subscapular, su-
prailiac, abdominal, front thigh and medial calf skinfold
thicknesses and higher values of flexed arm than elite
and non-elite judo athletes. For bone diameters, simi-
lar results were found in our sample and both elite and
non-elite judo athletes [11].
Few studies about anthropometric profile were also
conducted with cadet judo athletes [4,28]. Pérez and
Figure 1. Somatochart of Spanish National Team member
judo athletes according to gender and age
groups. 1 – cadet females; 2 – junior females;
3 – senior females; 4 – cadet males; 5 – junior
males; 6 – senior males.
Franchini E et al – Anthropometrical profile of elite Spanish Judoka…
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Sanagua [28] reported lower values of body fat percent-
age and both male and female judo athletes participat-
ing of the Cadet Judo World Championship compared
to the values estimated in our sample.
When the cadet subsample is considered, the values from
our group are also slightly higher for the endomorphic
component and slightly lower for the mesomorphic com-
ponent when compared to athletes taking part in the
Cadet World Judo Championship [28]. Comparing our
cadet subsample to 70 sedentary boys [29], they pre-
sented identical endomorphy (3.6), but higher mesomor-
phy (5.2 vs. 2.1), and lower ectomorphy (1.9 vs. 2.9).
The mesomorphy of cadets is also substantially higher
than in boys who trained soccer (4.4) and fitness (3.2).
The bigger skinfold thickness in the segments in females
compared to males observed in our study was also re-
ported previously in sample of cadet judo athletes, i.e.,
female judo athletes presented bigger thigh and medial
calf skinfold thicknesses than male judo athletes tak-
ing part in the World Cadet Judo Championship [28].
The differences observed in our study between male
and female judo athletes are similar to those reported
by Sterkowicz-Przybycień and Almansba [14]. These au-
thors reported that male judo athletes presented high-
er values than female in the following variables: body
height, humerus breadth, arm girth and body density and
the values of absolute and relative fat-free mass, fat-free
mass index and mesomorphic component. Conversely,
male presented lower values than female for triceps skin-
fold thickness, body fat percentage and fat-free mass in-
dex. In general, the differences between males and fe-
males are the same as classically reported in the literature
about sexual dimorphism [16], i.e., differences in male
and female somatotypes, for both trained and untrained
subjects, manifest in lower endomorphy and higher me-
somorphy. Sterkowicz-Przybycień and Almansba [14]
stated in Polish National Judo Teams that 16 out 21
anthropological dimensions and indexes showed a ten-
dency to a reduced sexual dimorphism as compared to
that observed in untrained people. When the somato-
type components of untrained male and female judo
athletes were compared no difference was found con-
cerning endomorphy and mesomorphy. Additionally, the
somatotype of senior female judo athletes was the same
as in younger male judo athletes (i.e., endomorphic-me-
somorphic). Conversely, in younger female judo athletes
the body type was characterized as being mesomorph-
endomorphic, whereas senior male judo athletes were
balanced mesomorphs. Male senior judo athlete’s so-
matotype is similar with previous Spanish study results
[22], although a lower mesomorphy (5.2 vs. 6.16) com-
ponent was observed in our study. Similar mesomorphy
component was found in senior female judo athletes
(4.8 vs. 4.7). In Polish Senior Teams the typical body
type was the endomorphic-mesomorphic in both gen-
ders [14]. Possible causes of these differences can be the
sport selection process and the heavy resistance training
to which judo athletes are submitted to.
Thus, it seems that the engagement in judo results in
an anthropometrical profile specifically adapted to the
demands of the sport, even in early ages. Investigation
with wrestlers reported that after 16 years-old no dif-
ference in anthropometrical profile was observed [30].
Specifically with judo athletes, we found only one re-
search that compared male and female judo athletes
across different age groups (junior and senior for fe-
males; cadet, junior and senior for males), but this re-
search was directed more to physical fitness, reporting
only body fat and body mass comparisons across age
groups, with similar findings to our study [13].
conclusions
Our study indicated that male judo athletes were heavi-
er, taller, had lower body fat and higher muscle mass per-
centage and absolute values, higher circumferences and
bone diameters, lower endomorphic and higher mesomor-
phic components than females. Most of the difference
between male and females concerning body fat were re-
lated to a lower skinfold thickness in the limbs’ sites by
males compared to females. Additionally, few differences
were found among age categories, with cadets present-
ing smaller flexed arm circumference and humerus epi-
condyle bone breadth compared to junior and seniors,
and lower absolute muscle mass compared to seniors.
It is recommended that future studies be conducted to
compare different categories and the relationship be-
tween anthropometrical, championship performance
and functional variables such as muscle power, muscle
endurance and anaerobic capacity.
Practical applications
Morphologically, high level cadet judo athletes are quite
similar to older athletes and coaches can select them from
these ages, although other aspects (e.g., technical, psy-
chological, physiological) should be taken into account.
Additionally, as this sample is large and was constituted
by high level judo athletes these data can be used as ref-
erence to coaches and physical conditioning profession-
als. These professionals can direct their training consid-
ering the desirable morphological profile athletes must
have. Nutrition professionals can also benefit from these
information results to organize proper diet to athletes
who have to achieve a specific morphological profile.
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