Biotypology is a branch of medicine that deals with the classification and study of types of body constitution, also examining the relationships between certain morphological and functional characteristics and pathological states. Some constitutional types, in fact, are more prone to certain pathologies than others to biotypes; this aspect, although of medical interest, in the context of personal training is still useful to provide further clues and feedback, useful above all if the person is already suffering from some pathology and / or if he / she has been referred to the gym by his / her own doctor.
The identification of the constitutional typology of a subject represents the first fundamental step in the evaluative anamnesis of a subject, in order to establish objectives and needs to be taken into account in the development of the training program.
There are different schools and types of classification, the result of studies developed over the centuries, some of which have been revised and expanded in the modern era. Hippocrates is the father of the constitutional classification, since already in the times of ancient Greece he had developed a determination of the 4 somatotypes.
The subject addressed deserves a description of all the different parameters that the study of human typologies has produced in human history, however it would be impossible to exhaust the topic in this discussion, in which we will try to give an exhaustive description of the main classification parameters used in the current era.
Note: the terms biotypes, constitutional biotypes, morphotypes, and somatotypes are synonymous.
Sheldon Morphological Biotype
Sheldon's somatotypes classify man's biotypology according to three essential physical scales: ectomorphy, mesomorphy, endomorphy.
Lanky and / ectomorph
Characterized by long and thin muscles and limbs, and by a reduced accumulation of fat, usually indicated as thin. The ectomorph is not predisposed to storing fat or building muscle, so the degrees of belonging to ectomorphism delineate the tendency of a subject to maintain a thin, thin, not very muscular, and long-limbed body.
- Ankle circumference less than 22 cm.
- Wrist circumference less than 16 - 17 cm.
- 5/10 kg lower weight (to centimeters above the height meter)
Normolineo / mesomorph
Characterized by medium-sized bones, a solid trunk, low levels of body fat, broad shoulders with a narrow waist, usually referred to as a muscle type. The mesomorph tends to tend to develop muscles, but not to store fat; therefore, the degrees of belonging to the mesomorphism delineate the tendency of a subject to muscular development.
- Ankle circumference between 22 - 24 cm.
- Wrist circumference between 16 - 18 cm.
- Lower or higher weight of 5 kg. (to centimeters above the height meter)
Brevilineo / endomorph
Characterized by an increased fat deposit, a wide waist and a robust bone structure. The endomorph is more prone to storing fat, therefore the degrees of belonging to the endomorphism delineate the tendency of a subject to the accumulation of lipids.
- Ankle circumference above 23 cm.
- Wrist circumference above 18 cm.
- 5/10 kg more weight (to centimeters above the height meter)
Of course, the three physical scales listed above have an indicative value, since we often observe intermediate somatotypes, such as the meso-ectomorph and the meso-endomorph, with mixed characteristics but with prevailing tendencies towards one or the other other biotype. The degree of muscular trophism of the subject (hypotonic, normotonic, hypertonic) and the psychological aspect (degree of motivation, self-esteem, etc.) must also be taken into consideration before the work path begins. Very often these aspects help biotypological identification.
Galèno Biotype
In the Greek-Roman school of Crotone, Galèno (129-199 AD), one of the fathers of modern physiology, taking inspiration from the studies of Hippocrates, identifies 4 humours: phlegm, blood, yellow bile and black bile (or detachable), from which 4 temperaments descend:
- Lymphatic : round and flaccid forms; pale and cold skin; sluggish neuro-vegetative functions, patient and reflexive character.
- Sanguigno : rounded, but tonic forms; hot pink skin; active Neuro-vegetative functions; jovial and impulsive character.
- Biliary : thin forms; warm and olive skin; rapid neurovegetative functions; intelligent, strong-willed, ambitious, passionate character; penetrating gaze.
- Abilbiliare : the subject is thin, asthenic; cold, olive skin; the subject is sad, not very expressive, pessimistic.
Aristotle (384-199a.C.) Asserted that man could be compared to every animal species, due to the appearance of the face (facies = face), physical appearance clinamen (tendency), character, type of voice, behavior.
The face represents the detecting center of the individual's personality.
Sigaud biotype
Established by the French morphologist Sigaud in 1908, he distinguished the following individuals:
- Respiratory : characterized by the relative width of the trunk and the nose-malar area.
- Digestive : characterized by the prominence of the abdominal area, large mouth, thick lips, prominent jaws.
- Muscular : it is characterized by length of the limbs, rectangular trunk, large muscular masses and small heads.
- Cerebral : They have essentially a thin trunk, thin bone structure, delicate limbs, small body and large head.
Constitutional biotype of Jean Vague: Android and Ginoid.
It is a classification system defined by the French scientist Jean Vague around the mid-forties, in order to identify the areas of distribution and accumulation of body fat to relate them to particular morphologies and pathological predispositions.
Constitutional biotypes can generally be named with the name of biotypes or morphotypes, although these adjectives are also applied to other biotypological models.
To recognize belonging to one of these two biotypes, it is possible to perform a simple calculation, dividing the waist circumference by the hip circumference.
Waist circumference / hip circumference = '' X ''
WOMAN:
If '' X '' is greater than 0.81 = ANDROID
If '' X '' is less than 0.81 = GINOID
MAN:
If '' X '' is greater than 0.91 = ANDROID
If '' X '' is less than 0.91 = GINOID
Although values above 0.72 can be considered abnormal in general, the limit threshold associated with complications is considered to be above the value of 0.95 for men and 0.8 for women.
The calculation of the waist / hip ratio is in any case approximate, since it does not take into account the relationship between the muscle mass present in the areas to be measured (buttocks, abdomen).
From the metabolic point of view, we can define the android subject as "Hyperlipogenetic" : it easily accumulates fat from the waist up, but it burns it just as easily. It is generally a very emotional and hyperactive subject, it produces a lot of cortisol (usually from morning until afternoon). Cortisol has among its characteristics that of being hyperglycemic, or to increase blood sugar.
Directions on training: it would be advisable to train during cortisol peaks, to counteract it with testosterone production. The training sessions should not exceed 50-60 minutes, since beyond this time the anabolic endogenous production of testosterone is reduced and the anabolic production of cortisol is increased. The intensity of training should not be too high, but combined with a general medium-high volume of work (total number of medium-high series, medium-high repetitions, from 10 to 15 per set).
The gynoid subject is instead "hypolipolytic" : it easily accumulates fat from the waist down and burns it with great difficulty. It is generally a metabolically slow and lazy subject in the morning, very active from late afternoon to evening. It is susceptible to phenomena of poor circulation (capillaries, liquid, lymphatic stagnations), constitutionally predisposed to cellulite; in women there is a marked desire for sugar during the period of menstruation.
Training advice : You should train during the best metabolic peaks, ie when energy levels are highest. Capillarized workouts are indicated, therefore at high volume (high repetitions), with a medium-low intensity, starting the session from the lower part, and then rising upwards. Since the gynoid subject has a rather meager upper part, it is suggested to structure the training for the trunk with a table of slight musculature, while the one for the lower part with a circuit work and high repetitions.
In the early months at least, exercises such as squats, lunges, running on the carpet are not recommended.
Training should not be split between the upper and lower parts, but performed in full body sessions.
The 4 fundamental biotypes of Hippocrates
As mentioned at the beginning of the chapter, Hippocrates (460-370 BC), a Greek physician, is the father of the constitutional classification ; in fact, from his studies on the determination of constitutionality, it is clear that he has drawn up a classification criterion which was then the final head to which all the other doctors and researchers subsequently inspired in developing their research on biotypology. To date, with the latest updated studies, and taking into account the different scales of biotypological classification, the morphological biotypes of Hippocrates are considered fundamental; they turn out to be:
- Cerebral or nervous
- Bilious
- Muscle blood
- Lymphatic
Their classification is in relation to the immuno-neuro-endocrine structure, physics, etc .; therefore, based on the different types of metabolism and the tendency to accumulate liquids, these biotypes can be classified following a scale that goes from the maximum hydrophilicity (tendency to water retention), typical of the lymphatic, to the maximum hydrophobia (poor ability to retain liquids) typical of the cerebral.
1 The Cerebral or nervous biotype.
It is a catabolic-cerebral-hypercortisol biotype, the most difficult for muscle development, in the body building jargon it can be defined as a "Hard gainer", meaning a hard to grow.
- hyperactive;
- tendentially hyper-catabolic;
- puts muscle mass with great difficulty because it tends to destroy what it already has;
- hydrophobic, it does not present a good capillarization, rather it tends to vasoconstriction;
- it does not easily hydrate the muscles (which is a fundamental step to trigger muscle anabolism and combat catabolism).
- it tends to be rigid and contracted, not only physically, and lives under continuous adrenaline bursts of stress, even of competitive origin;
- faces with grit (in a positive phase) events that are even hard to manage, but withstand for short periods of time, even for just a few days;
- he is a sprinter, even in sport, he is the opposite of the marathon runner and of those who do a methodical, routine and resistance work;
- it enters overtraining with extreme ease, this situation is experienced with frustration, since the cerebral wants to feel good and to excel but often ends in exhaustion psycho-physical (negative phase);
2 The bilious biotype.
If the cerebral in its sub-categories is the most complex and difficult to balance and maintain biotype, the "bilious" biotype is the one with the biomorphology that combines the typical intelligence and creativity of the "cerebral", with the typical strength and musculature of the "sanguigno".
The pure bilious, generally, blessed him, has everything that can be desired: a kind of optimized compromises.
Each biotype has its weaknesses, but the bilious has many strong points on its side.
The pure "bilious" is generally devoid of great difficulties in muscular development; personally, the type of training for a bilious aims to make him achieve results as quickly as possible.
Unlike the hard gainer, the bilious must not generally even go through the rebalancing phase. Moreover, again unlike the difficult biotype, the bilious is not altered too much by a series of training errors, which would instead be very damaging for the cerebral.
The bilious has a more balanced CEREBRAL CHEMISTRY and better hormonal and biological responses to training and nutrition.
It does not present difficulties in muscle development, it may have a small bone structure, it does not become ill, it is the one that comes closest to psycho-physical perfection.
3 The muscular blood biotype.
Designed by nature for physical work.
The sanguine-muscular is what touches the weights as it touches. It almost seems that, in spite of all the specific science of training, whatever system uses the result is always the same: it gets bigger, creating envy among the cerebral, cerebral-bilious, etc.
Even if he is not completely aware of it, in general, the big blood does not have the intellectual qualities of the cerebral, of which it could be maybe a little envious ...
Generally it is a pure carnivore.
It tends to suddenly become seriously ill (eg heart attacks), while in the immediate term it has less damage to the nervous system.
In the current competitive bodybuilding, all the main experiences were carried out mainly by blood and bilious blood.
4 The Lymphatic biotype.
The lymphatic: sport is not for him but he needs it very much.
With little tonic musculature (while the cerebral has little but hardness) and very fat, the lymphatic has a prominent, adipose and mushy abdomen. The arms, legs, etc are also flaccid and flaccid; these manifestations are exasperated in the "pure lymphatic" woman. His favorite exercise is eating: be careful, even the sanguine is a great eater, but then he has the energy to support grueling sports training.
The lymphatic is hydrophilic, meaning that it holds back fluids (it is the opposite of the cerebral one).
The lymphatic, convinced that sport is healthy, will choose golf or calm sports, while the cerebral-bilious will choose rugby, martial arts, bodybuilding, which unfortunately soon abandons due to lack of results ...
The classic "fat" flaccid film or caricature is pure lymphatic.
The obese with hard and not very soft fat is instead a lymphatic-sanguine. Different consistency of fat for a different biomorphological component.
Training a lymphatic gives little satisfaction, even if it gets slimming results, increasing the musculature, improving intellectual lucidity, etc., after a while it will interrupt everything: it is not constant while obtaining results.
It is reiterated that the feeding and integration of the lymphatic (hydrophilic) is conceptually opposite to that of the cerebral (hydrophobic). They are really the two opposites. In this case the two opposites do not attract each other.
Articular biotype
- Median sagittal plane : it is an imaginary vertical plane that passes through the center of the body (through the longitudinal and sagittal axes), dividing it into two equal or antimer halves (right and left). The sagittal plane with an imaginary vertical plane parallel to the median plane that does not necessarily pass through the center. Often these two planes are considered as a single plane called median sagittal.
- Frontal or coronal plane: it is a vertical plane parallel to the front and perpendicular to the median plane (it passes through the transverse and longitudinal axes). It divides the body in front and back.
- Horizontal or transverse plane: it is a plane that divides the body into two upper and lower halves. In an upright position it is horizontal. It is located perpendicular to the median and frontal planes and passes through the transverse and sagittal axes.
CLAVICULAR
It has wide clavicles and a flat chest; it is defined as such due to the particular structure of the scapulo-humeral belt, quite accentuated and broad on the frontal plane, which gives it precisely, wide clavicles, flat chest and generally well-developed and toned triceps and deltoids.
PECTORALS: they are worked in exercises performed in the sagittal plane, for which they are disadvantaged. The exercises most suitable for him are: Crosses on a flat and inclined bench.
The classic extensions on flat bench with barbell give little result because the clavicular subject tends to use more synergistic muscles (shoulders and triceps), which participate in good percentage in this bi-articular exercise and which therefore represent "the strong points" of the subject, to the detriment of the weak ones, ie the pectoral ones.
However, remaining on a bi-articular exercise on the bench, we could propose the distension on an inclined bench with a barbell or with dumbbells, a more advantageous exercise since, given the inclined position of the bench, it allows a better mobility and bachelor-humeral excursion by putting back the shoulders and the elbows.
DORSALS: exercises dedicated to this muscular area are performed on both floors.
On the frontal plane the Clavicle can work better, so it is the case of the exercises for the back, like the "Lat machine".
While on the sagittal plane, an advantageous exercise is the "45 ° Pulley" (instead of the oarsman with a barbell).
BICIPITES: in the clavicular biotype they are generally lacking compared to the triceps: the most suitable exercise is the "Scott bench press" (with dumbbells or barbell), the only "basic biceps exercise", unlike the Curl standing with a barbell or cord (during which, often, one can notice compensating movements - cheating - affecting the shoulder, calling into question the stronger muscle, the deltoid, at the expense of the biceps).
KEYSTONE
It has narrower shoulders and a deep chest. Also in this analysis, it will then be necessary to observe any '' postural attitudes or vices ''.
He can work advantageously with exercises that develop movement in the sagittal plane and encounter difficulties instead in those working on the frontal plane. The muscle groups to which therefore pay particular attention are: deltoids, dorsal and triceps.
DORSALS: has excellent results with exercises such as Rowing and Pulley, which act precisely on the sagittal plane which is most suitable for him from the point of view of the joint.
In exercises that develop on the frontal plane, such as the Lat machine (both with a wide grip pronate and with a tight grip supine) we recommend a slightly wider grip, to obviate the poor scapula-humeral mobility typical of this biotype.
DELTOIDES: They are among the muscles that the trapezoid develops most difficultly, acting on the "discomforting" frontal plane. Some indications for the following exercises:
Lateral risers : pay attention to remain always on the frontal plane, keeping the hands pronate.
Pull on the chest with a wide-grip barbell instead of the tightened chin on the chin, since the latter would act on the already strong trapeze.
Exercises such as the slack behind (and the back machine), which are no longer in use due to the potential damage that, in the long term, would cause the shoulder joint, forcing it during the execution of the movement, to a physiologically unnatural retropulsion, should be avoided therefore harmful.
anthropometry
(From "Antropòs" = Man; "Metron" = Measure), highlights the specific characteristics of each subject, male or female, in terms of:
- weight / height ratio
- quantity and distribution of skeletal musculature
- amount of fatty tissue
- district localization of adipose tissue
- amount of lean mass
- total water and mineral content.
It is a non-invasive method designed to define the distribution of masses (lean and fat) in the individual and to quantify them. The anthropometric tools used are: the scale, caliber, meter, plicometro. There are different methods of anthropometric measurement:
plicometry
It is based on the measurement of skin folds, which include skin and subcutaneous adipose tissue. The instrument used is the plicometer, a spring gauge that applies a pressure on the standardized skin of 10 / g / mm2).
Bioimpedance
It is based on the principle of the different conduction of tissues when passing a very weak and inadvertent alternating electric current (800 microA at 50 Khz); the difference in conductivity depends on their water and electrolyte content (mineral salts). The parameters evaluated are resistance and reactance.
RESISTANCE : lean fabrics have low resistance, as they are rich in water and electrolytes. Adipose tissues are bad conductors (insulators), therefore highly resistant as they are poor in water and electrolytes.
REACTANCE : or capacitive resistance, it is the force that opposes the passage of an electric current due to a capacity (capacitor). Condenser: 2 conductive plates separated from each other by a non-conductive or insulating layer. Non-adipose cells have a cellular membrane consisting of a non-conductive lipid bilayer; they behave like condensers, so if crossed by a current they oppose a resistance and a reactance.
The fat cells, being triglyceride spheres (flattened plasma membrane), do not behave like condensers, that is they provide a resistance but not a reactance.
Furthermore, we find numerous formulas and numerical equations that take into account sex, height, body weight, body circumferences and bone diameters, however these formulas are based on the subject's normal hydration and standardized results.
(Bibliographic references: publications by Dr. Alessandro Gelli, Physiology of Astrand and Rodahl, personal notes)
