Abstract
SummaryObjectiveThe aim of this comparative study was to determine the gender differences in cardiac morphology and performance in adolescent black South African footballers. MethodsAnthropometry, electrocardiography and echocardiography data were measured in 167 (85 males and 82 females) adolescent black South African footballers (mean age: 14.8 ± 1.3 years). Vertical jump height was used as a performance measure of explosive lower –limb power. ResultsThe males had less body fat compared with the females (12.1 ± 3.6 vs 16.8 ± 4.1%, p < 0.05), while females had higher left ventricular end –diastolic diameters compared with males (48.7 ± 3.7 vs 40.7 ± 8.1, p < 0.05). Vertical jump height was higher in males (37.2 ± 10.3) compared with females (31.2 ± 8) and was inversely associated with body fat (â = –0.2, p < 0.05) and positively associated with lean mass (â = 0.5, p < 0.05). ConclusionThe findings showed that adolescent black South African male footballers had a performance advantage over females for explosive lower –limb power, which was explained by differences in body composition and not cardiac morphology.
Highlights
The findings showed that adolescent black South African male footballers had a performance advantage over females for explosive lower-limb power, which was explained by differences in body composition and not cardiac morphology
The female (n = 82) footballers were younger compared with the males (n = 85), and presented with significantly higher body fat measures and lower lean mass (Table 1)
The findings show the gender differences in physiological profile and selected performance outcomes, and that selected cardiac parameters were not associated with dynamic Vertical jump height (VJH)
Summary
Data for this comparative study of adolescent black South African footballers were collected from seven of the nine provinces (the Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZuluNatal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Western Cape). Echocardiography was performed and measures of cardiac morphology included interventricular septal (IVS) thickness, ejection fraction percentage and left ventricular end-diastolic. Multivariable linear regression analyses were conducted to determine whether independent variables were associated with the explosive power outcome (VJH) and the cardiac morphology outcomes BMI: body mass index; BP: blood pressure; IVS: interventricular septal thickness; VJH: vertical jump height; LVED: left ventricular end-diastolic diameter. Following independent variables were included in the initial multiple regression model for the fitness outcome: age, gender, systolic BP, diastolic BP, body fat, lean muscle mass, IVS thickness, ejection fraction and LVED. The following independent variables were included in the initial multivariable linear regression models for the three cardiac outcomes: age, gender, systolic BP, diastolic BP, body fat, muscle mass, resting heart rate, IVS thickness, ejection fraction, LVED and VJH. All independent variables had VIFs < 2.2, indicating no co-linearity
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