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Hoots : Why do so many fitness websites still reference somatotypes? Sites like bodybuilding.com, Men's Fitness, Muscle & Strength, etc. still use terms such as "endomorph, "ectomorph" and "mesomorph". These so-called "somatotypes" - freshhoot.com

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Why do so many fitness websites still reference somatotypes?
Sites like bodybuilding.com, Men's Fitness, Muscle & Strength, etc. still use terms such as "endomorph, "ectomorph" and "mesomorph". These so-called "somatotypes" were invented by the psychologist (and possible eugenicist) William Herbert Sheldon, Jr. Sheldon tied each of the bodytypes to certain personality traits, and his research has been discredited time and again as racist hogwash.

That being said, if so many of these respected fitness websites make reference to the somatotypes, is it because we've since proven there to be some accuracy to the distinct body types without the connection to personality? Or is this just a case of bad science being hard to wash away.


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Somatotyping is essentially stereotyping (assigning an “empirical generalization” to an individual), as to whether this is valid / acceptable is another matter, but have a read of: All Stereotypes Are True, Except... I: What Are Stereotypes?

Anyway Somatotyping is taught, in English Schools and Universities, as a valid means to assess an individual's suitability / potential to become an elite performer in certain sports eg. basketball, gymnastics, distance running, rowing, wrestler.... Even the BBC covers the technique.

It's generally packaged up / taught under the Applied Anatomy or Kinanthropometry banners, and is backed by a number of studies that have shown a correlation between certain physical characteristics and achievement at an elite level in certain sports e.g.

Olympic Lightweight and Open Rowers possess distinctive physical and
proportionality characteristics for selecting elite athletes ,
Anthropometric characteristics, body composition and somatotype of
elite junior tennis players,
Relationship between different swimming styles and somatotype in national level swimmers
Somatotype Variables Related to Muscle Torque and Power in Judoists,
Kinanthropometry IX: Proceedings of the 9th International Conference of the Advancements of Kinanthropometry
Anthropometric characteristics and body composition of Greek elite women volleyball players
Somatotype of Top-Level Serbian Rhythmic Gymnasts
Anthropometric characteristic, body composition and somatotype of Canadian female soccer players
Anthropometrica: A Textbook of Body Measurement for Sports and Health Courses
Anthropometric, morphological and somatotype characteristics of athletes of the Brazilian Men’s volleyball team: an 11-year descriptive study (2013)
The influence of Somatotype components on success in sport climbing
....

There are also papers that show the methodology is not applicable to the selection of athletes in multi discipline events, or where random and / or environmental variables play a significant role eg.

Comparison of body composition and somatotype of trained female triathletes

In the last few decades Heath-Carter and Rempel have formularised the categorization process, and the technique has been used is a number of anthropometric studies eg.

Study on the adult physique with the Heath-Carter anthropometric somatotype in the Han of Xi'an, China.
Somatotype characteristics of female patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Somatotype characteristics of male patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

There have also been numerous studies that show a neurobiological effect / benefit of physical exercise, to quote wikipedia:

People who regularly participate in aerobic exercise have greater
scores on neuropsychological function and performance tests. Examples
of aerobic exercise that produce these changes are running, jogging,
brisk walking, swimming, and cycling. Exercise intensity and duration
are positively correlated with the release of neurotrophic factors and
the magnitude of nearly all forms of exercise-induced behavioral and
neural plasticity; consequently, more pronounced improvements in
measures of neuropsychological performance are observed in endurance
athletes as compared to recreational athletes or sedentary
individuals. Aerobic exercise is also a potent long-term
antidepressant and a short-term euphoriant; consequently, consistent
exercise has also been shown to produce general improvements in mood
and self-esteem in all individuals.

which would appear to accidentally / partially support Sheldon original work.

For a bit of background and a list of a dozen papers that support the technique, in sports selection, see the BrianMac site.


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Or is this just a case of bad science being hard to wash away.

Yes.

There is no evidence of a somatotypes being caused by genetics in anyway. All of Sheldon's initial work on Somatotypes was related to psychology, which has since been debunked.

Since then, there has been no study done that gives a genetic correlation between a somatotype and body type.

Somatotypes are broadly used to say you are either fat, muscular or tall and thin.

Taller "Ectomorphic" people will naturally have trouble gaining the visual "bulkiness" of a shorter person due to higher calorie requirements and phsyiological differences in muscle. A taller person will have longer limbs, causing muscles to be longer making them appear "smaller".

The difference between Mesomorphic and Endomorphic comes down to body fat alone, and shedding excess fat can make someone who looks Endomorphic become Mesomorphic, based on appearance alone.

Why does the theory of Somatotype exist? Because people are lazy and like excuses

Fitness magazines/websites aren't in the business of making you fit, they are in the business of selling magazines/getting page-views so they can sell ad space. You getting fit is a by-product. Somatotypes give a convenient way to say "being chubby" isn't your fault, its your genetics so that you don't feel bad and stop buying/clicking.


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There are no distinct body types and they are for the most part not connected to personality, with the exception of eating habits. People with high apetite will have an easier time putting on both fat and muscle. So one could say that endomorphs tend to like food more than ectomorphs I guess, assuming that the higher body weight is caused to a larger degree by apetite than by any difference in metabolism.

In fact, thin people typically overestimate the amount of calories they eat, while large people underestimate it, leading to the wide-spread myth of high or low metabolism being common.

As I said above, there are no distinct body types, but there are body types! Some people are born shot putters and some are born marathon runners. Genes do have an impact, but they don't make people cluster around these three types.


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