Analysis of Body Mass and Fat Percentage among Age and Tactical Positions of Young Footballers

Abstract

The analysis of anthropometrical variables is extremely necessary to follow the physical development of young athletes. PURPOSE: to compare Body Mass (BM) and Fat Percentage (%F) of athletes from different age groups (U15, U17 and U20) and different tactical positions (goalkeeper GK, defender DF, wing WG, midfielder MF and forward FW) of a First League Brazilian club. METHODS: 450 BM and %F individual assessments were performed (Faulkner, 1968) considering four periods of assessments in 30 players from each age group (total of 90) during the season. Anova one way was used to compare groups and the tactical positions within the same age group. RESULTS: Statistical differences were found among U15, U17 and U20 groups considering BM (75.7 ±0.7kg, 70.0 ±1.0kg, 64.6 ±0.8kg, respectively) and only U15 group was different from the others considering %F (10.8 ±0.4% versus 11.6 ±0.3% U17 and 11.6 ±0.4% U20). When comparing tactical positions within the same age group, GK showed to be equal to DF and different from the other positions (p<0.05) when considering BM for U15 group. Differences were found among GK, WG and DF (11.7 ±0.4%, 11.2 ±0.2%, 10.0 ±0.1%, p<0.01, respectively) for %F. Among U17 group, GK and DF showed to be different from WG, MF and FW for both BM and %F (p<0.05). GK, DF and FW (80.1 ±0.6kg, 83.5 ±1.1kg, 76.8 ±1.1kg, respectively) showed to be statistically equal for BM, but different from WG and MF (69.5 ±0.7kg, 70.6 ±0.9kg, respectively). Differences were found only between WG and MF for %F (10.9 ±0.3% versus 12.4 ±0.3%, p=0.03). CONCLUSION: Body Composition is an important aspect to the most of sports, considering that a high %F may be significantly decrease sports performance. It is difficult to establish referential values to BM and %F assessment among soccer players from youth teams, due to maturational aspects - highly involved during the biological development of the athletes, among others. However, determining proper body composition parameters to each tactical position may be an important and useful tool to select possible talents for the modern football demands.