Advances in Kinanthropometry

Kinanthropometry studies body size, shape, proportionality, composition, biological maturation, and function to understand growth, aging, health, movement, and nutrition. It focuses on the relationship between human structure and movement. In public health, anthropometric measurements help assess risks such as malnutrition, obesity, muscle atrophy, increased fat mass, and abnormal fat distribution. Both underweight and overweight are significant health risks, strongly linked to non-communicable diseases. Overweight and obesity have risen across most age groups worldwide, driven by reduced physical activity and increased consumption of energy-dense foods. Anthropometric indicators are simple, portable, non-invasive, and cost-effective tools that can be widely used to estimate body composition disorders and guide prevention and medical interventions, especially in older adults. In sports, kinanthropometry is essential for describing athletes' physical characteristics, including body composition, somatotype, and proportionality. It supports the evaluation and monitoring of morphological traits during the competitive season, talent detection, identification and development, and the study of growth, maturation, and training responses. It is also useful for monitoring athletes following specific diets. This Special Issue aims to highlight current and future kinanthropometric techniques and their applications in sports science and health, providing a platform for various research types, including original studies, short communications, and reviews.