What Does somatotype Mean
Somatotype is not an accepted term in the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ). The notion was developed by William Herbert Sheldon , an American psychologist who made distinctions between different kinds of bodies that, according to their characteristics, would affect people's mental faculties.
The physical types proposed by Sheldon are linked to the greater or lesser incidence of endoderm , mesoderm and ectoderm in the subject. These three elements are the germ layers that are formed in embryonic development and that give rise to tissues and organs .
The endoderm allows the development of the intestine; the mesoderm derives in the blood vessels, the muscles and the heart; and the ectoderm enables the formation of the nervous system and the skin . Sheldon defined the different somatotypes according to a score from 1 to 7 according to the highest incidence of one or another germ layer.
Continuing with this idea, the North American psychologist established three major somatotypes: endomorphic (individuals with a tendency to accumulate fat in their body and to be overweight), mesomorphic (solid subjects with developed muscles) and ectomorphic ( people with thin bodies, extensive limbs and low level of body fat).
Going a little deeper into the three large groups established by the theory at hand, we can point out these other aspects:
-The endomorph is someone with the body of a pear, that has wide hips and shoulders, that its head is round and that it accumulates fats in areas such as the thighs and arms. To all this we must add that it is considered that it has a great lung capacity and that it has qualities to practice sports such as rugby or rowing.
-The mesomorph, for its part, is a person with narrow hips, a V-shaped body, little fat and a cubic head. It stands out in a special way for its speed, strength and agility, so it can practice physical disciplines such as the long jump with great success.
-The ectomorph, on the other hand, is characterized by having a thin, long and fine body. He is not very muscular, his forehead is high and he has both hips and narrow shoulders. These physical characteristics make him an individual who can achieve some success in disciplines such as gymnastics.
In addition to the above, we cannot ignore that there are certain formulas to be able to determine, in a truthful and correct way, to which somatotype any person belongs and for what type of sport their qualities are best. Thus, for example, the ectomorphic type is recommended to practice athletics, for hockey players to be mesomorphic and for trampoline gymnasts to be endomorphic.
For Sheldon , the bodily characteristics of somatotypes are revealing in the development of temperament and in different psychic characteristics of human beings .
It is important to note that the theory of somatotypes became popular in the 1940s and 1950s and then gradually lost validity in the scientific field. Some consider that the idea of somatotype may even be the starting point for racist positions.