Anthropometric Measurements

body build

Identifies
distribution patterns
of FAT and LEAN
tissues.

Body Comp

Only percentages of overall
tissue composition FW vs.
FFW.

We use anthropometric measures to describe aspects of body
build because

body build is associated with health and performance

A number of diseases associated with distributions of tissue

 Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)
 Type II diabetes
 Obesity
 Most sports have optimal body types / body builds

Measurements of the Human body

Circumference, diameters, and skinfolds

Three techniques for evaluation of body build

1) Behnke Somatogram
2) Behnke’s method for Reference Weight
3) The Heath-Carter method of somatotyping.

Behnke Somatogram

This is a graphic description of body proportions
 Based on circumferences
Know the units are they measured in
 Represents the general pattern of body mass distribution
 Ideal for tracking growth and development in children
 Identifies disproportional body segments
 Like Gigantism and Dwarfism

Circumferences

Measured in centimeters (cm)
 Distance around a body part
 Thigh, forearm, waist, abdomen, etc.
 Reflects fat weight (FW) and fat-free weight (FFW)
 Slightly gender dependent**
 Waist vs. hip measurements
 Slightly site dependent**
 Ex. The thigh may be more representative of FFW whereas abdomen may be
more FW

Site Dependency

Android and Gynoid

Android

Apple

Gynoid

Pear

Chest, Abs, Hips, and Thighs reflect

fatness

• if > 105% = less muscular

Forearm, Flexed Arm, Shoulder, and Calf reflects

MUSCLE. So,
if > 105% more muscular

Wrist, Knees, and Ankles are

bony sites

If < 95% = overweight (this means that there is a lot of
tissue relative to skeletal size).
If > 105% = less tissue relative to skeletal size and
therefore, less fat.

Reference Weight

Average weight that is appropriate for a particular
frame size
Estimates ideal body weight based on skeletal size
and height
Based on diameters of specific body sites
 What are diameters?
 What units are they measured in?
 Add Right + Left (R+L)

Diameters

 Measured in centimeters (cm)
 Distance between two bony landmarks
 Biacromial
 Biailiac
 Bitrochantaric
 *Reflects only FFW

Reference Weight

Body weight (BW) – reference weight (RW) = ± 5 kg  normal
BW – RW > 5 kg  overweight
BW – RW < -5 kg  underweight

Somatotyping

Classifications referred to as endomorphy,
mesomorphy, and ectomorphy

Endomorphy

roundness, fatness

Mesomorphy

muscularity

Ectomorphy

linearity, tall, skinny

Techniques for estimating body comp

Skinfolds

Skinfolds advantages

Inexpensive
 Fat-o-meter ~ $9.95
 Lange calipers ~ $200 - $300
Mobile (moveable; you can travel with them)
 Schools
 Health fairs, etc.
Time efficient
 5 – 10 minutes or less

Skinfolds disadvantages

Not as accurate as underwater
weighing (UWW) ~ 3 to 5% difference
between UWW and skinfolds

Measurement of a “fold of skin”

Contains skin
 Subcutaneous fat
 Fascia (sometimes, but try not to)
 Reflects only FW

Skinfold error

1. Error from UWW

2. Inappropriate landmarks for Anthropometric measures

3. Technique error

UWW errors

 Exercising or eating prior to UWW
 Reading the scale wrong
 Subjects’ level of comfort in/under water
 Body water retention (medication, menstruation, etc.)

INTRA-tester error

error within a tester; tester cannot take consistent
measurements over time

INTER-tester error

error between testers; one tester may produce
different results from the next tester

Chest

M - a diagonal fold taken one half of the distance between the
anterior axillary line and the nipple

Abdomen

M - a vertical fold taken at a lateral distance of approximately 2
cm from the umbilicus

Thigh

M - a vertical fold on the anterior aspect of the thigh, midway
between hip and knee joints

Triceps

w - a vertical fold on the posterior midline of the upperarm, halfway
between the acromion and olecranon processes; the elbow should be
extended and relaxed

Suprailium

w - a diagonal fold above the crest of the ilium at the spot where
an imaginary line would come down from the anterior axillary line

Thigh

w - a vertical fold on the anterior aspect of the thigh, midway between
hip and knee joints