Somatotypological characteristics of young arab men studying in Yakutia

The stay of young Arab men in the harsh climate of Yakutia creates significant adaptive stress. In these conditions, it is important to study their somatotypological characteristics, which will reveal the risks of maladaptation disorders associated with the somatotype. The aim of the study was to determine the somatotypological characteristics of young Arab men studying in Yakutia. 55 young Arab men (from 17 to 21 years old), students of the NEFU Institute of Medicine, were examined. Body length and weight, chest circumferences, waist and buttocks, shoulder diameters, pelvis, transverse and anterior-posterior chest diameters were measured. The body mass index and the Rohrer index were calculated. Asthenic, normosthenic, and picnic somatotypes were determined by the Reese-Eysenck index. According to the severity of endomorphy, exomorphy, and mesomorphy scores, Heath-Carter somatotypes were established (from the bioimpedance protocol). Fat, musculoskeletal, lean, active cell mass, phase angle and degree of hydration of the body (total water, extracellular and intracellular water) were determined by bioimpedance measurement. The statistical analysis of the obtained data was carried out using the SPSS 22.0 application software package. Nonparametric methods were used. The assessment of intergroup differences was carried out using a nonparametric method using the Mann-Whitney U-test. The predominance of persons with asthenic somatotype according to Reese-Eysenck was revealed. Somatotyping using the Heath-Carter method showed the absence of somatotype variability; all the Arab youths examined were of the mesoectomorphic type. According to the Rohrer index, people with medium and high body density dominated. The young Arab men with asthenic somatotype were characterized by significantly lower parameters of body weight, BMI, chest circumference, waist, buttocks, shoulder diameter, transverse and anterior-posterior chest diameters. An analysis of body component parameters revealed significantly lower absolute and relative values of fat mass and higher relative values of active cellular, musculoskeletal, lean mass and total water in individuals with asthenic somatotype. The predominance of the asthenic somatotype and the presence of a significant proportion of people with medium and high body density among the surveyed Arab youths may indicate that this group belongs to the arid adaptive type. The data obtained contribute to an in-depth understanding of the anatomical and anthropological characteristics of young Arab men studying in Yakutia and create the basis for subsequent scientific research.

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