Anthropometric Characteristics of Elite and Olympic Mexican Track and Field Athletes: A Retrospective Study

Sports specialization requires understanding morphological variability to optimize performance, yet detailed analyses of track and field athletes' anthropometric profiles, especially in Latin America, are sparse.This study addresses this gap by examining the anthropometric characteristics of elite and Olympic Mexican track and field athletes.Seventy-four athletes (49 men, 25 women), aged 22.4 (4.41) years, representing Mexico at the XXIV Central American and Caribbean Athletics Championship, were evaluated.Using the ISAK protocol, 43 anthropometric variables were assessed to describe their physical morphology, including the Heath-Carter somatotype, body composition, muscle-bone index, muscular-adipose index, sum of skinfold thicknesses, and proportionality.The correspondence among these variables was analyzed across different groups: sprint (n=32), middle-distance (n=6), long-distance (n=11), endurance (n=5), combined events (n=3), jumps (n=11), and throws (n=6).Results revealed sprinters and middle-distance runners were predominantly ectomorphic mesomorphs, while long-distance runners were mesomorph ectomorphs.Sprinters had higher adipose mass compared to endurance runners.Throwers exhibited larger dimensions and greater body mass, muscle, and bone.Additionally, long-distance athletes had higher thoracic index values than sprinters and jumpers, indicating a potential association between thoracic index and athletic specialization.This study highlights the anthropometric diversity among Mexican track and field athletes, providing insights for talent identification and the development of tailored training and nutrition programs specific to each discipline.