Systematic Review of Understanding the Relationship Between Mesomorph and Speed in Sports: A PRISMA 2020 Analysis

The relationship between mesomorph body type and speed in sports is a complex and multifaceted area of research. This systematic literature review aimed to explore the connection between somatotypes and speed variations, focusing on the biomechanical factors that enhance speed in mesomorphic athletes and the role of the skeletomuscular system in speed-related activities. Following PRISMA 2020 standards, a structured internet search was conducted using PubMed, Google Scholar, and COPE (UK), yielding 1,275 research articles. A total of 27 articles were reviewed in depth after the exclusion and inclusion criteria-based quality screening, and 10 articles were highly evaluated. The results revealed that mesomorphic athletes, built athletic and muscular, had an edge in terms os having better physical properties for speed performance; having a higher muscle fat ratio as a result of using energy systems efficiently, increased % of fast twitch muscles. But more than just foot speed, a number of other factors contribute to an athlete’s overall ability to move at high velocity. The review emphasises the value of understanding body shape-speed relationship with respect to optimising position-related and sports-specific tactics and talent identification policies, training programmes. Additionally, the results are applicable in the context of fitness and rehabilitation treatments. Future studies should examine the interaction of somatotype, biomechanical determinants and skeletomuscular characteristics to fully establish the mesomorph body form relationship with speed in sports.