ABSTRACT
In 1967, researchers Heath & Carter developed a new scheme for the evaluation of the somatotype, which can be used in both men and women. The scheme is based on a specific worksheet in which the evaluator must insert the collected data for evaluation (Heath & Carter, 1967). The technique, based on anthropometric measurements, used to calculate the human body somatotype of individuals regarding both body shape and body composition, through non-invasive methods. Altogether, there are ten anthropometric measurements needed to evaluate an individual’s somatotype: height, weight, biepicondylarbreadths of the humerus and femur, girths of the calf and the bicep flexed and tensed, and skinfolds (triceps, subscapular, supraspinal and medial calf). After performing the measurements, the values are then entered in the Heath & Carter worksheet to determine the
1 INTRODUCTION
Somatotype is a theory of body morphology and composition classification that was originally developed in 1940 by the American physiologist William Herbert Sheldon. According to his research, he divided the physical structure of the human being in three different biotypes: Endomorphy (adiposity), Mesomorphy (muscularity) and Ectomorphy (thinness), which define physical characteristics that permits to differentiate all individuals (Sheldon et al, 1940).
