Nutritional Status and Somatotype of Male Combat Athletes Aged 14–43 Years Compared with Population Data of the Russian Federation

Background/Objectives: Body mass index does not distinguish between the fat and lean components of body mass and may therefore misclassify the nutritional status of athletes. This study aimed to assess the nutritional status of male combat athletes by a combined method based on body mass index and fat mass percentage and to compare their somatotype with population data of the Russian Federation. Methods: In this cross-sectional screening study, anthropometry and bioelectrical impedance analysis were performed in 122 male combat athletes aged 14–43 years; the Heath–Carter somatotype was calculated with bioimpedance equations. Trend tests, logistic regression and non-parametric tests with Holm correction were applied. Results: According to body mass index, 34.4% of the athletes were overweight, and 10.7% were obese, whereas only 13.9% had increased fat mass. Among overweight athletes, 76.2% had a muscular body type. In the older age groups, the muscular type was more frequent (odds ratio 1.67 per 5 years; p = 0.002) and the gracile type less frequent (odds ratio 0.56; p = 0.002). The mean somatotype was ecto-mesomorphic (2.2–5.2–3.2) at 14–17.9 years and endo-mesomorphic (4.8–6.6–1.1) at 36–43 years. Conclusions: The combined assessment of body mass index and fat mass percentage against age-specific population data may serve as a simple screening tool to identify combat athletes who require an in-depth assessment of diet and energy expenditure; it does not replace a comprehensive nutritional assessment.