Abstract

Human performance efficiency and effectiveness in different sports depend to a large extent on the size, weight and proportion of the physique of the athlete. The aim of this study was to identify morphological characteristics of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) athletes. The sample consisted of 25 highly trained male athletes who were classified according to their fighting style; guard fighter (GF) vs. pass fighter (PF). The athletes were assessed for somatotype, body composition and proportionality. For the whole group of athletes the somatotype was 2.23 +/- 0.68, 6.33 +/- 1.14, and 1.75 +/- 0.87 for endomorph, mesomorph and ectomorph components, respectively. Muscle and adipose tissue percentages were 52.34 +/- 2.15% and 19.30 +/- 2.51%, respectively. PF were significantly more mesomorph (p< 0.05) and less ectomorph (p<0.05) than GF. Also, PF had significantly higher phantom Z score for bone mass vs. GF (0.51 +/- 0.57 vs. 0.01 +/- 0.54; p< 0.05), and significantly lower muscle mass-bone mass ratio (4.55 +/- 0.31 vs. 4.77 +/- 0.56; p<0.05), height (1.71 +/- 0.06 vs. 1.77 +/- 0.07; p<0.05) and height weight ratio (40.58 +/- 1.11 vs. 41.84 +/- 1.22). Our results show that morphological characteristics are related to different fighting styles in BJJ athletes.