In the course of our discussion, we have seen that it is possible to identify body composition on the basis of the parameters provided by Heath and Carter’s somatotype. In addition to body composition, it is possible to add another that identifies the fundamental structure of the body, independent of the distribution of its components: morphology. Two data are required to calculate morphology: stature and body constitution. The latter is, trivially, an indication of the strength of the bone structure and can be easily measured and assessed.
The body constitution
The main method for measuring body constitution is based on the circumference of the wrist, which should be measured with a metric tape, the width of which should not be more than 7 mm if possible. A wider metric tape, in fact, could hardly fit into the area to be measured. The reason why this particular parameter is relevant is that the wrist region is devoid of muscles or particularly thick layers of skin; therefore, by measuring the circumference, it is possible to get an indication of how big and thick the bones are. By comparing the measured data with standard parameters, it is possible to obtain a measure of body constitution, i.e. one of the data required for the calculation of morphology. Below are the guidelines for assessing constitution:
Man | Woman | |
Slim Constitution | Less than 17cm | Less than 15cm |
Normal Constitution | Between 17 and 18cm | Between 15 and 16cm |
Robust constitution | Greater than 18cm | Greater than 16cm |
Morphology
The calculation of morphology, as already mentioned, combines the indication of constitution with that of stature. Quite simply, to calculate the morphology measurement, it is necessary to divide the stature expressed in centimetres by the body constitution, also in centimetres:
The evaluation of morphology can be carried out by comparison with standard parameters, which are given below:
Man | Woman | |
Brevilinear | Less than 9.6 | Less than 9.9 |
Normal linear | Between 9.6 and 10.4 | Between 9.9 and 10.9 |
Longlines | Greater than 10.4 | Greater than 10.9 |