Differences in Anthropometric and Body Composition Factors of Blind 5-a-Side Soccer Players in Response to Playing Position: A Systematic Review

Background: Blind 5-a-side soccer is an intermittent sport that requires the integration of physiological and physical processes, where body composition (BC) is an influential and differentiating factor of the sporting level, according to the conclusions of some studies. However, to date, no systematic review has been reported comparing BC in players with visual impairment. Objectives: The aims of this study were to systematically synthesize the existing evidence on differences in anthropometric characteristics and body composition among blind 5-a-side football players according to playing position and to derive practical recommendations for researchers and coaches. Methods: The following databases were consulted: PubMed (Medline), Scopus, Web of Science, and Science. This systematic review uses the guidelines of the PRISMA declaration and the guidelines for conducting systematic reviews in sports science. PICO strategy was used for the selection and inclusion of studies in the present work, with a series of inclusion and exclusion criteria. The quality was methodologically assessed using the PEDro scale. Results: The 10 studies comprising this systematic review had a total sample size of 168 athletes. The main findings of this research were (1) the somatotype of blind 5-a-side soccer players tends toward meso-endomorphic; (2) there are differences in the variables of muscle mass, fat mass, and body weight in response to playing position and sporting level; (3) the players present a somatotypical profile with a predominance of the mesomorph component. Conclusions: The results of this review reveal a tendency to define BW as influencing the athletic performance of blind 5-a-side soccer players. However, it is not conclusive whether these improvements occur in response to each playing position. More studies are needed to analyze the effect of BW on athletic performance, especially when correlating BW with other physical, nutritional, technical, and tactical variables in training and competition.