Somatotype Profiles and their Relationship to Swimming Motor Skills in Undergraduate Sports Training Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between somatotype components  and fundamental swimming skills among undergraduate students specializing in sports training, swimming track.Forty-two male aged 17 to 20 took part in this study. Somatotypes were determined using the Heath-Carter anthropometric method. Swimming skills, were assessed using standardized tests. A significant differences were found across somatotype groups for all swimming skills (p<0.01). Mesomorphic students demonstrated superior propulsion, with significantly longer glide distances and better swimming index compared to ectomorphs and endomorphs. Endomorphic individuals exhibited greater buoyancy but reduced propulsion efficiency and slower swim speeds. Pearson correlations indicated that mesomorphy positively correlated with glide (r=0,68) and swimming index (r=0,72),while endomorphy correlated positively with buoyancy (r=0,75) but negatively with propulsion (r=-0,70). Somatotypes significantly impact swimming motor skill proficiency among late-learning students.These findings support the incorporation of morphology informed, individualized swimming instruction strategies to optimize motor skill acquisition and performance.