The Relationship between Aerobic Capacity, Anthropometric Characteristics, and Performance in the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test among Elite Young Football Players: Differences between Playing Positions

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to investigate (a) the relationship between the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 1 (YYIR1) and a laboratory test for measuring maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), (b) the relationships between anthropometric characteristics and variables of the two aerobic tests (field and laboratory), and (c) differences in performance and anthropometric characteristics among five different playing positions. The study involved 27 U17 young soccer players (16.0 ± 0.6 years). They randomly underwent a maximal laboratory treadmill test to measure VO2max and the YYIR1 test. Pearson correlation was used to find potential correlations, and a one-way ANOVA was used to find differences between playing positions. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. The results showed that height was moderately negatively correlated (r = −0.455, p = 0.017) as well as body mass (r = −0.395, p = 0.042). Significant positive correlation was observed between vVO2max and the distance covered in YYIR1 (r = 0.393, p = 0.042). Finally, no differences were observed between playing positions in any anthropometric characteristic or in any variable of the two aerobic tests (laboratory or field) (p > 0.05). In conclusion, the YYIR1 test is not suitable for estimating VO2max. Additionally, the lack of differences between playing positions may be due to the limited specialization of the training load received by the players until this age.

Differences in Physical Indexes between Football Players of Different Playing Positions and Correlation to the Weekly Training Load

“…In previous studies, it had been reported that in high level football the VO2max could be >60 mL/kg/min [63], but in recent studies the values were 58 ± 5.2 mL/kg/min and 13.4 ± 1.3 km/h for VO2max and vRER, respectively [27], and between 17.7 ± 1 km/h and 18.0 ± 0.9 km/h for vVO2max [64]. For playing position, the study by Modric et al [51] Similarly to our study results, there were no differences in the VO2max between the players of different playing positions [46,47,51,64,65]. For vRER, our study did not show any difference.…”