Athletic performance levels across biological maturity status in youth soccer players.

INTRODUCTION

Biological maturation can produce substantial inter-individual variability in physical performance among youth soccer players. However, whether its influence differs in magnitude across physical domains has been little examined within a testing battery.

METHODS

Forty-four youth male soccer players (13.12 ± 1.75 years; U13-U16) were assessed for countermovement jump (CMJ) height, lower limb peak power, sprint speed over 10 and 30 m (reflecting acceleration and maximal velocity, respectively), and VO2max. Predicted maturity status was classified into pre-, circa-, and post-PHV (peak height velocity) groups using the modified Mirwald equation. Group differences were analyzed using the one-way ANOVA.

RESULTS

Post-PHV group outperformed both pre- and circa-PHV groups across all outcomes (p ≤ 0.05). Effect sizes were large in all outcomes, and the most significant were recorded for lower limb peak power (ε2 = 0.73), followed by 30-m sprint (η2 = 0.63), 10-m sprint (η2 = 0.51), VO2max (ε2 = 0.51), and CMJ height (η2 = 0.40).

CONCLUSION

Maturity status is associated with large performance advantages across all tested domains in youth soccer players. Post-PHV players demonstrated significantly higher performance in jumping, sprinting, aerobic capacity, and lower limb peak power and support the integration of predicted maturity assessments in physical profiling, training program design, as well as for facilitating talent identification.