Fitness profiles of professional futsal players: identifying age-related differences

Abstract

Summary Study aim: The aim of this study was to determine the fitness profiles of senior and junior futsal players and to identify potential differences between the studied age groups. Materials and methods: 44 male futsal players from 5 professional futsal teams participated in this study. Subjects were divided into two age groups (seniors [>18 years; n = 26] vs juniors [<18 years of age; n = 18]). Players were tested for anthropometrics (body mass, body height and body fat percentage), jumping capacity (countermovement jump and standing broad jump), kicking speed (for dominant and non-dominant leg), sprinting capacity (5- and 10-meter sprints), 20-yard test, futsal-specific reactive agility, and futsal-specific change-of-direction speed tests. Results: No significant differences between age groups were apparent for anthropometrics. Seniors achieved better results than juniors in tests of kicking speed, for both the dominant (106.81 ± 6.94 km/h and 100.94 ± 5.33 km/h, respectively, t-test: 3.02 [p < 0.001], Cohen’s d: 1.02) and nondominant leg (95.54 ± 8.57 km/h and 85.28 ± 8.71 km/h, respectively, t-test: 3.88 [p < 0.001], Cohen’s d: 1.25). Conclusions: Seniors did not achieve significantly better results than juniors in most of the observed variables. Since the maximum biological maturity occurs up to 18 years, and studied juniors were in their late adolescence, we can assume that differences between groups are related to other indices (i.e. technical skills, tactical knowledge).

Speed, Change of Direction Speed and Reactive Agility in Adolescent Soccer Players: Age Related Differences

“…Moreover, Poljskic et al [ 14 ] showed that U19 players had better results than U17 in RAG (reactive agility) test. On the other hand, there is a study that found no significant difference between juniors (<18) and seniors (>18) in specific reactive agility tests [ 33 ]. However, reactive agility is being developed until the late adolescent age, when it can reach its peak, which could be the reason for the discrepancy in the results.…”

Development and trainability of agility in youth: A systematic scoping review

“…Studies in male soccer players did not observe differences in agility performance between U19 and U17 ( 81 ) and U15 ( 83 ) age groups. In addition, adult (mean age: 28.1 ± 5.2 years) futsal players did not show higher agility performance than U19 players ( 76 ). Whereas, in studies of ( 68 ) and ( 78 ), U19 players outperformed U17 male soccer players in agility performance.…”

“…Soccer ( 50 – 53 , 55 – 58 , 60 – 62 , 65 , 66 , 68 , 70 – 73 , 77 , 79 – 84 ) was the most examined sport, with over two-thirds ( n = 25) of the 37 included studies approaching it. Athletes of other sports, such as futsal ( 76 ), Australian rules football ( 54 ), rugby league football ( 49 ), rugby union ( 63 ), badminton ( 74 ), and table tennis ( 59 ), were assessed in single studies each. Three studies included athletes of different sports ( 64 , 75 , 79 ), one included inactive subjects ( 69 ), and two studies did not report subjects' sport participation ( 32 , 67 ).…”

“…Response times (timeframe from the onset of the stimulus until the initiation of the response movement) were separately assessed in 17.9% ( n = 7) of cases ( 49 , 54 , 61 , 63 , 70 , 74 , 78 ). The Y-shaped agility test and its modified variants were the most frequently applied tests ( n = 18) ( 49 , 52 – 55 , 58 , 60 – 62 , 67 , 71 , 73 , 76 – 79 , 81 , 84 ). Agility tests differed regarding cutting angles, distances covered, number of consecutive CODs, number of COD options, starting velocities, dribbles, and other characteristics.…”

“…Thus, differences were presumably predominantly induced by training and gained expertise and less by consequences of maturation ( 72 ). It might be assumed that growth- and maturation-induced differences in agility performance between age groups recede in late adolescents until they completely cease when achieving a fully mature adult state ( 76 ).…”