Correlations between anthropometric characteristics and physical fitness profile in different age and level categories of soccer players
More details
Hide details
1
Department of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, Laboratory of Evaluation of Human Biological Performance, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki,, Greece
Submission date: 2021-12-17
Final revision date: 2022-02-11
Acceptance date: 2022-02-11
Publication date: 2022-03-28
Corresponding author
Yiannis Michailidis
Department of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, Laboratory of Evaluation of Human Biological Performance, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki,, Greece
TRENDS in Sport Sciences 2022;29(1)
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Introduction. Determination of the fitness profile in soccer players of different categories using the field test is particularly useful. It can be used to assess the physical condition of other soccer teams, but also to show differences between the categories. Aim of Study. This study aimed to compare anthropometric and physical fitness profiles of U10, U12, U14, amateur and semiprofessional male soccer players, as well as find correlations between the measured indicators. Material and Methods. Subjects included 228 athletes. Anthropometric characteristics and field fitness parameters were measured. Results. Differences were observed in height, weight and BMI of the athletes between all the groups (p < 0.001) except for the amateur and semiprofessional groups (p = 0.091). In fitness tests, groups of semiprofessional and amateur players showed better performance than all the groups of developmental ages. Also, semiprofessionals performed better than amateurs in all the tests except for the sit and reach and abdominal test. At the developmental ages the U14 differed from the U10 and U12 in terms of 30 m, LJ and T-tests, while no other differences were observed. In the case of the correlations it is characteristic that the percentage of body fat is negatively related to LJ at the developmental ages and to SJ in adults. The CMJ was the fitness test that showed the greatest relationships with anthropometric characteristics and other tests. Conclusions. In conclusion, this study presents the profile of the physical condition for players of developmental ages (non-elite), amateurs and semiprofessionals. The improvement in performance depends on training, but also on biological maturation and development. In adults the different level of athletes is shown in terms of all the physical abilities tests, with semiprofessionals performing better. Greater specialization of training contents (increase in volume and intensity at the highest level) causes more effective adaptations in soccer players.