An individual’s body type will have a significant impact on their ability to perform various tasks successfully i.e. a tall thin person may be more suited to basketball than rugby.

A simple system for assessing body type is the visual system of somatotyping. The somatotyping system suggests that there are three distinct body types: ectomorphs, endomorphs and mesomorphs.

Ectomorphs are naturally thin with little body fat or muscle mass. Ectomorphs find it difficult to gain weight (either muscle or fat) and are more suited to weight-bearing aerobic activities, such as long distance running.

Mesomorphs tend to be naturally lean and muscular, with broad shoulders and narrow waist and hips. Mesomorphs are naturally athletic and tend to be suited to a wide variety of sporting activities, especially those requiring a good power to weight ratio, such as boxing.

Endomorphs are naturally predisposed to fat storage. They tend to be apple or pear-shaped and carry larger amounts of body fat. Endomorphs also tend to possess a reasonable degree of muscle mass, although this is often overlooked due to the predisposition for fat storage. Activities such as shot putt and hammer throwing may be suited to endomorphs.

That being said, many individuals are not exclusively one body type, but rather a combination of body types. For example, an individual with a small frame, little muscle mass and a tendency to store body fat could be considered an ectomorph with endomorph tendencies.

Understanding where your body lies helps you to set realistic objectives and goals. An endomorph with a goal of becoming a competitive marathon runner ma need to re-evaluate their goal as they are not structurally suited to this type of activity. Similarly, ectomorphs are unlikely to succeed in the field of competitive bodybuilding as they have difficulty gaining muscle size.