Comparative Study of Anthropometric Measurement and Body Composition between Junior Soccer and Volleyball Players from the Serbian National League

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe anthropometric characteristics and body composition of junior soccer and volleyball players from the Serbian National League as well as to make a comparison between them. Seventy-one male athletes were enrolled in this study, divided into three groups: twenty-fi ve soccer players, fourteen volleyball players and thirty-two healthy sedentary subjects. All subjects were assessed for anthropometric measures required for the calculation of body composition variables, using standardized procedures recommended by previous studies. Data was analysed using SPSS and the descriptive statistics were expressed as a mean (SD) for each variable, while the ANOVA and the LSD Post Hoc tests were carried out to detect eff ects of each type of sport. The results showed that a signifi cant diff erence was found in variables height, weight, and body fat, but no signifi cant diff erence was found in the remaining three variables, body mass index, muscle mass or bone content. Volleyball players were signifi cantly taller and heavier than soccer players or subjects from the control group, while there was no signifi cant diff erence between height and weight of soccer players and subjects from the control group. Subjects from the control group had significantly higher percentage of body fat than both soccer and volleyball players. Soccer players had the lowest percentage of body fat, while subjects from the control group had the highest values of the same variable. Therefore, these fi ndings may give coaches from the region better working knowledge and suggest to them to follow recent selection process methods and to be more careful during the process of talent identifi cation.

Differences in Anthropometric Characteristics among Junior Soccer and Volleyball Players

“…Th e results of this study show that there are signifi cant diff erences in certain anthropometric characteristics between soccer players and volleyball players who compete in the elite Serbian Junior Leagues. Volleyball players are signifi cantly higher than soccer players, which is in line with previous research (Popović et al, 2014;Masanovic, T. Bavcevic, & I. Bavcevic, 2019). If we consider that offi cial statistical data proved that the average body height of all the participants in the FIFA U-17 World Soccer Championship India 2017 was 176.01 centimeters, while the average height of the of all participants in CEV U17 Volleyball European Championship 2017 in Turkey was 189 centimeters, we can conclude that the players from Serbian soccer and volleyball Junior Premier League with average body height 177.8 and 194.28 centimeters are tall enough and they do not lag behind the World top players.…”

Differences in Anthropometric Characteristics among Junior Basketball and Volleyball Players

“…Adaptation caused basketball players to have less fat tissue because running distance is greater (Masanovic & Vukasevic, 2009;Masanovic, Vukotic, Popovic, & Bjelica, 2018). On the other hand, volleyball players have a larger volume of upper leg and ankle joint diameter because of the constant repetition of the jump elements (Masanovic, Popovic, & Bjelica, 2018).…”

Differences in Anthropometric Characteristics among Junior Soccer and Basketball Players

“…Budući da profesionalni sport podrazumijeva nadprosječna opterećenja, logično je da organizam mora da se adaptira, pa tako dolazi do morfoloških i funkcionalnih promjena (Bjelica; Bjelica i Fratric, 2011;Popović, 2013;Masanovic, Popovic, & Bjelica, 2018;Popović, Molnar i Masanović, 2010;Popović et al, 2010;Gardasević & Bjelica, 2014), na osnovu toga očekuju se razlike među sportistima različitih grana. Takođe i među sportistima koji igraju na različitim pozicijama u timu, a u okviru iste discipline (Krespi, Sporis, & Popovic, 2019).…”

“…Morfološke karakteristike su prisutne u jednačini specifikacije gotovo svakog sporta, pa predstavljaju pitanje od velikog značaja kada se govori o orjentaciji i selekciji u svim sportskim disciplinama (Nikolaidis & Vassilios-Karydis, 2011;Bjelica i Fratrić, 2011;Gjombalaj, Georgiev, & Bjelica, 2018). Zbog toga identifi kovanje talenata uz efi kasno sprovođenje transformacijsko kinezioloških aktivnosti mora da se bazira na rezultatima sportske nauke i prakse (Popovic et al, 2010;Bjelica, Popovic, & Gardasevic, 2016a;Bjelica, Popovic, & Gardasevic, 2016a;Masanovic, Popovic, & Bjelica, 2018).…”