Somatotypological prerequisites for physical fitness in primary school students

Aim: To experimentally investigate the relationship between somatotype and physical fitness level in primary school students (aged 7-10) during ball-handling exercises.

Materials and Methods: The research, conducted during the 2024-2025 school year, involved 238 students (boys - n = 118, girls - n = 120) aged 7-10. To determine the students' body-build type (somatotype) and their somatometric assessment, the weight-height coefficient and somatoscopy were used. Pedagogical testing was employed to evaluate the results of ball-handling exercises. To determine the relationship between somatotype and indicators of students' physical fitness during ball-handling exercises, Pearson's linear correlation analysis was applied.

Results: It was found that in the distance throwing, the best results were achieved by boys with a higher weight-height coefficient aged 9 and 10 (r = 0.48 and r = 0.43), the best results in the vertical jump were recorded among students with a lower weight-height coefficient aged 8 and 10 (r = -0.64 and r = -0.4). Dribbling speed is higher among 10-year-old girls with a lower weight-height coefficient (r = 0.30), while the best results in the vertical jump are achieved by girls with a lower weight-height coefficient aged 8 and 9 (r = -0.34 and r = -0.3).

Conclusions: It has been established that the somatotype of students aged 7-10 influences only their performance in ball-handling exercises requiring speed and strength. In contrast, coordination skills are closely linked to other motor abilities and mental functions, which may serve as a basis for predicting their motor aptitude in various types of sports games.