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Advances in Kinanthropometry: Techniques and Applications in Sports and Health,...
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Advances in Kinanthropometry: Techniques and Applications in Sports and Health, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology (ISSN 2411-5142). This special issue belongs to the section "Kinesiology and Biomechanics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 2011

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Luciana Zaccagni

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Guest Editor
Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
Interests: nutrition; sports sciences; motor learning; biomechanics; anthropometry; physical fitness; sports and performance; wellbeing; motor development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Natascia Rinaldo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
Interests: anthropometry; body composition; wellbeing; physical activity; sports and performance; exercise and health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Stefania Toselli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Science, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
Interests: anthropometry; body composition; quality of life; public health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Kinanthropometry is the study of body size, shape, proportionality, composition, biological maturation, and function to understand the processes of growth, aging, health, movement, and nutrition. In particular, kinanthropometry studies the relationship between human structure and movement. In Public Health, anthropometric measurements can assess the risk of malnutrition, obesity, muscle atrophy, increased fat mass, and maldistribution of adipose tissue. Underweight and overweight represent significant health risk situations, having a substantial association with non-communicable diseases. Overweight and obesity rates have increased in nearly all age categories in most countries around the world. The combination of reduced manual labor and daily physical activity, along with increased access to and consumption of energy-dense foods, contributes to this global problem. Anthropometric indicators are simple, portable, non-invasive, inexpensive, and easily applicable measurements that can be readily applied in populations to estimate weight and body composition disorders and to guide preventive measures and medical interventions in older adults.

In the sports field, kinanthropometry is essential in describing and quantifying athletes’ physical characteristics to obtain information on body composition, somatotype, and proportionality. It allows for the evaluation of morphological traits and their monitoring during the competitive season. It can also be used for talent detection, identification, and development in virtually all sports, the study of growth and maturation, the response to training, and the monitoring of athletes who must follow a specific diet.

In this light, this Special Issue aims to highlight current and future techniques of kinanthropometry and their application in the fields of Sport Science and Health. Therefore, it provides an excellent opportunity to publish different types of research (including quantitative and qualitative research, original articles, short communications, scoping and systematic reviews, and meta-analysis) focused on this broad research topic.

Dr. Luciana Zaccagni
Dr. Natascia Rinaldo
Prof. Dr. Stefania Toselli
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • kinanthropometry
  • weight status
  • growth
  • aging
  • body composition
  • athletes
  • sport sciences
  • public health
  • obesity

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 334 KB  
Article
Anthropometric Indicators and Their Relationship with Physical Activity and Enjoyment in Childhood
by Aday Infante-Guedes, María del Carmen Carcelén-Fraile, Paulino Vico-Rodríguez and Marta Cano-Orihuela
J. Funct. Morphol. Kinesiol. 2026, 11(2), 168; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk11020168 - 23 Apr 2026
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Abstract
Background: Childhood is a key period for the development of body composition and physical activity habits that may influence health throughout life. Although physical activity has been widely associated with adiposity indicators, the role of enjoyment of physical activity as a motivational and [...] Read more.
Background: Childhood is a key period for the development of body composition and physical activity habits that may influence health throughout life. Although physical activity has been widely associated with adiposity indicators, the role of enjoyment of physical activity as a motivational and affective component remains less explored. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between several anthropometric indicators and both the level of physical activity and enjoyment of physical activity in schoolchildren. Methods: An observational, analytical, cross-sectional study was conducted with 386 schoolchildren (176 boys and 210 girls) with a mean age of 11.15 ± 0.66 years. Anthropometric indicators included body mass index, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and triceps and subscapular skinfold thickness. Physical activity level was assessed using the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children (PAQ-C), and enjoyment of physical activity was evaluated using the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES). Multiple linear regression analyses were performed, adjusting for age and sex. Results: Higher levels of physical activity were significantly associated with lower body mass index (B = −1.592; p < 0.001), waist circumference (B = −8.010; p < 0.001), hip circumference (B = −8.227; p < 0.001), waist-to-hip ratio (B = −0.008; p < 0.001), triceps skinfold thickness (B = −0.910; p = 0.002), and subscapular skinfold thickness (p < 0.05). Greater enjoyment of physical activity was significantly associated with lower body mass index (B = −1.778; p < 0.001), reduced waist circumference (B = −8.944; p < 0.001), hip circumference (B = −9.185; p < 0.001), waist-to-hip ratio (B = −0.008; p < 0.001), and triceps skinfold thickness (B = −1.100; p = 0.001). Greater enjoyment was also associated with lower anthropometric indicators of central adiposity (waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio), whereas no significant association was observed with subscapular skinfold thickness (p = 0.066). Conclusions: Physical activity level and enjoyment of physical activity were associated with multiple anthropometric indicators in children, although physical activity showed more consistent associations, whereas enjoyment demonstrated a more selective pattern depending on the specific adiposity measure. These findings highlight the importance of considering both behavioral and affective dimensions of physical activity when promoting healthy morphofunctional development during childhood. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Kinanthropometry: Techniques and Applications in Sports and Health, 2nd Edition)
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19 pages, 746 KB  
Article
Position-Specific Kinanthropometric Traits of Professional American Football Players: A Study of Mexican LFA Players
by Luis Gerardo Vázquez-Villarreal, Wiliam Carvajal-Veitía, Gustavo Guevara-Balcázar, Claudia Maceroni, Pedro López-Sánchez and María del Carmen Castillo-Hernández
J. Funct. Morphol. Kinesiol. 2026, 11(1), 109; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk11010109 - 5 Mar 2026
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Abstract
Background: This cross-sectional observational study aimed to describe the position-specific kinanthropometric characteristics of Mexican professional American football players competing in the 2019–2020 seasons of the Liga de Fútbol Americano. Methods: A total of 189 athletes were assessed following International Society for [...] Read more.
Background: This cross-sectional observational study aimed to describe the position-specific kinanthropometric characteristics of Mexican professional American football players competing in the 2019–2020 seasons of the Liga de Fútbol Americano. Methods: A total of 189 athletes were assessed following International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry standards. Twenty-six anthropometric variables were measured to estimate body composition (five-way fractionation), somatotype, proportionality indices, and tissue-specific masses. Positional differences were examined using ANOVA or Kruskal–Wallis tests with corresponding effect sizes (η2 or ε2). An exploratory stepwise discriminant analysis identified the anthropometric dimensions contributing most to positional differentiation, and classification accuracy was calculated. Results: Offensive and defensive linemen showed the greatest absolute size and higher adipose, muscle, and bone mass compared with other positions. The overall somatotype corresponded to a balanced endomorphic mesomorph (3.8–7.0–0.8), with wide receivers and defensive backs presenting lower endomorphy. The discriminant model identified arm relaxed girth, biiliocristal breadth, and sitting height as the variables contributing most to positional differentiation, achieving a classification accuracy of 57.7%. Given its exploratory nature and the absence of cross-validation, the discriminatory capacity of the model should be interpreted with caution. Somatotype Attitudinal Mean indicated greater interpositional heterogeneity among linemen. Conclusions: This study provides population-specific reference data for Mexican professional American football players, highlighting clear positional morphological characteristics. These findings may support talent identification and positional profiling; however, the exploratory discriminant model and league-specific sample limit generalization to other populations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Kinanthropometry: Techniques and Applications in Sports and Health, 2nd Edition)
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