# Body Composition and Determination of Somatotype of the Spanish Elite Female Fulsal Players
## 1 Introduction  
Female futsal is among the growing sports worldwide, having more than 12 million players spread over 100 countries [1].  
However, there is less information about the physical demands on female futsal players than male futsal players in the literature. [PERSON] et al. [2] concluded that futsal is a multiple-sprint sport, in which there are higher-intensity phases than in soccer or other intermittent sports. During a futsal match, approximately 80% of the time is spent at an intensity above 85% the maximum heart rate (MHR). This sport shares physical characteristics, such as explosive movements, repetitive sprints, high demand for VO\({}_{2}\), and repeated pyometric requirements, and requires anaerobic and aerobic metabolic pathways to obtain energy [2].  
These physical demands have been related to body composition and somatotype in different sports [3, 4, 5, 6]. [PERSON] et al. [7] concluded that higher levels of fat mass (FM) onathletes could have detrimental effects on performance elements, such as speed, agility, and endurance. In contrast, an increase in lean mass (LM) could improve endurance and strength [8]. In addition, the risk of injury in this sport and the possible influence of anthropometric characteristics (such as weight and body composition) must be considered. It is important to highlight that the risk of injury in futsal is higher than football [9; 10]; however, little is known about how anthropometric characteristics may impact injury risk [10].  
Anthropometric measures, BC, and somatotype variables vary among sports, due to the selection criteria, hours of training, and sports-specific demands during the game and practice. This is one of the reasons why body composition assessment is important, as this knowledge could be a determining factor in sport performance [11; 12; 13].  
In sports practice, it is essential to identify the main variables that can positively influence the match's outcome. BC must be assessed to perform training planning. This is due to BC being related to the improvement of many skills for high-level competition, including movement techniques, specific physical fitness, agility, skills, and performance [12]. Overall, the percentage of FM and lean mass (LM) are determinative factors of BC related to training adaptations results [13]. Furthermore, somatotype representation is also used in the assessment of BC related to sports performance, and it has been associated with successful results within sports. The Heath-Carter method [14; 15] is the most common method used to assess somatotype. It gives us a holistic quantification of the morphology and characteristics of an athlete's body, using measures related to body shape and composition. The somatotype is defined as the quantification of the current shape and position of the human body. This is based on a three-number rating system, corresponding to different compartments of BC: relative adiposity (endomorph), muscle-skeletal robustness (mesomorph), and linearity or slenderness. The anthropometric technique is used to obtain BC, the proportionality body index (ecomorph), and somatotype. The somatotype chart is a visual way to compare the anthropometric characteristics of the studied athletes versus other players with successful results, or with elite players in a specific sport [11]. Currently, there are few studies on body composition in female futsal players. A few of them include a description of the somatotype; in others, the samples are not representative [12; 13; 16; 17].  
The aim of this study was to describe the anthropometric characteristics, body composition, and somatotype of a group of Spanish elite female futsal players of the first-division league. As in other team sports, where the body composition changes according to the positions, it could also occur in female futsal, where a specific somatotype and body composition could be key factors to reach a high profile in the selected area of the sport. The results could be of use as guides and markers.