Anthropometric Characteristics, Somatotype, and Body Composition: Differences by Sport Category and Sex in Elite Cuban and Mexican Track and Field Athletes

SUMMARY: The study of the morphofunctional characteristics of high-performance track and field athletes is essential for optimizing training, nutrition, and talent selection. Since physical demands vary by sport specialization, understanding how these attributes affect efficiency and performance is key to maximizing athletes' potential. This study aimed to: i) perform an anthropometric characterization, ii) describe body composition and somatotype, and iii) compare these variables across sports categories and sexes. A total of 131 international athletes from Cuba and Mexico (76 men, 55 women):including 79 Olympic athletes, were evaluated using 43 anthropometric variables according to the ISAK protocol. Body composition was assessed using the Five-Way Fractionation Method by Kerr and Ross, and somatotype was determined using the Heath and Carter method. The results revealed significant differences in muscle mass and body fat between athletes in the Throwing, Sprinting, and Endurance categories. Throwers had an average muscle mass of 50.8 kg, higher than that of sprinters (37.0 kg) and endurance athletes (31.2 kg):with p ≤ 0.05. Additionally, throwers exhibited a higher body fat percentage (20.3% for men, 26.6% for women) compared to endurance athletes (18.9% for men, 25.9% for women):also with p ≤ 0.05. Throwers had predominantly mesomorphic somatotypes, while sprinters and endurance athletes were more ectomorphic. These findings suggest that anthropometric characteristics influence performance based on sports specialization.