The body of the traceur Linking morphology and performance in parkour
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Parkour involves overcoming environmental obstacles through running, jumping, climbing, and vaulting, placing high physical demands on practitioners. Although the discipline accommodates diverse body types, anthropometric traits, body composition, and somatotype may influence performance. Previous research has mainly reported basic indicators such as height, body mass, and BMI, leaving gaps in morphological profiling and its relationship with fitness outcomes. This study aimed to characterize the anthropometric profile, body composition, and somatotype of male parkour practitioners and to analyse their associations with standardized physical fitness tests. Twenty-four Spanish male traceurs (23.7 ± 5.6 years; 11.3 ± 4.0 years of experience) were assessed. A predominance of mesomorphy was observed, particularly in more experienced athletes. Significant correlations were found between lower fat mass and superior jump performance (SLJ, CMJ+, 3HPJ; ρ = –0.56 to –0.72, p = .004–.03), between greater leg length and faster sprint times (40 m; ρ = –0.61, p = .02), and between limb girths and improved change-of-direction ability (T-Test; ρ = –0.53 to –0.67, p = .01–.04). These findings underscore the relevance of muscularity and limb proportions for explosive and efficient performance, providing novel reference data for athletes, coaches, and researchers in parkour.
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