Defining elite zones: A scoping review of body physique and body fat in elite athletes
Background: Body physique refers to body size, structure, and composition. PS is used to describe the profile of athletes in different sports. Aims: To determine body physique and body fat percentage in elite athletes using the Hattori chart and to identify the elite zone.
Methods: Scoping review. The search was performed in PubMed, Google Scholar, Ovid Books, CAB eBooks, Clarivate InCites, MyiLibrary, Web of Science, Taylor & Francis Online, Core Collection, and Scopus. The search strategy was "body physique" OR "anthropometric" OR "body composition" AND "elite athlete" OR "athlete" OR "elite".
Results: Using indirect methods, elite athletes showed intermediate solid body physique (male) and lean intermediate body physique (female), and 13.6% ± 3.6% (male) and 22.3% ± 2.8 (female) body fat. Using doubly indirect methods, elite athletes showed lean intermediate body physique (male), and intermediate body physique (female), and a percentage of body fat of 13.7% ± 5.2% (male) and of 21.7% ± 4.3% (female) of body fat.
Conclusions: Hattori`s chart facilitates the visualization of changes in body mass index, fat-free mass index, fat mass index, and percentage of body fat, helping personalize training, monitor composition changes, and guide nutrition programs to optimize performance and health.
© Copyright 2026 Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology. MDPI. All rights reserved.
| Subjects: | |
|---|---|
| Notations: | training science |
| Tagging: | Körperfett fettfreie Körpermasse |
| Published in: | Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2026
|
| Volume: | 11 |
| Issue: | 1 |
| Pages: | 13 |
| Document types: | article |
| Level: | advanced |