Mapping Scientific Knowledge on Body Composition and Anthropometry in Soccer: A Bibliometric Analysis of the Last 35 Years (1990-2025).

Background

Anthropometric analysis has become a key tool for analyzing body composition to assess, monitor, and track structural changes in soccer players.

Objective

The objective of this study was to analyze the scientific literature on body composition and anthropometry in soccer using a bibliometric analysis. Material and

Methods

The following databases were consulted: Scopus, Web of Science (WoS), PubMed (Medline), SportDiscus, and the ScienceDirect publishing platform. The study included documents published between 1990 and 2025. Data was selected following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines statement flowchart and subsequently analyzed using Bibliometrix and R software to identify keywords, frequency of occurrence, journal analysis, countries, and other bibliometric indicators.

Results

A total of 384 documents met the inclusion criteria. Spain, Italy, Brazil and Portugal stand out as the countries with the highest output. These countries are associated with the most representative authors, led by Suarez-Arrones, L; Nikolaidis, PT; and Campa, F., who are in turn associated with the most representative concepts: "Male", "Adolescent" and "Athletic performance". The most prevalent concepts are population-based: "Adolescent" and "Young adult". The top three organizations in terms of contributing to the scientific study of body composition and anthropometry were the University of the Basque Country, Pablo de Olavide University, and the University of Coimbra. It can be observed that most of the literature has focused on youth (29.16% of the total documents), followed by elite players (22.91%) and professionals (14.84%), where the focus is on those aged 14 to 19 years and playing at highly competitive levels, seeking peak performance.

Conclusions

Methodological heterogeneity in evaluation protocols constitutes the main structural shortcoming in this field: 32.29% of studies do not specify their protocols, which compromises the comparability of the results. The widespread adoption of international standards, such as the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK) methodology, along with a requirement to indicate the instrument used and the evaluator's certification level, is a priority for improving the quality of scientific communication in future research.