Anthropometric and Body Composition Profile (by Five-Way Fractionation Method) of Professional Young Mexican Soccer Players

Abstract

PURPOSE: To describe the anthropometric and body composition profile (determined by the five-way fractionation method) of young professional Mexican soccer players. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out in soccer players of the Club Deportivo Guadalajara, A.C. (Chivas), belonging to the following categories: under-17, under-20, second, third and fourth division. Body weight, height, sitting height, skinfolds, girths and bone breadths were measured by five level II certified anthropometrists from September 2011 to March 2014, following the procedures described by the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry. Body composition was determined by the five-way fractionation method, which considers the following tissues (in kg): muscle mass, adipose mass, bone mass, skin mass and residual mass. Excel databases were built and descriptive analyses were performed in SPSS version 22 for Windows. RESULTS: Five hundred ninety seven subjects were included: 21.8% from second division, 15.1% from third division, 19.9% from fourth division, 20.8% from sub-17 category and 22.4% from sub-20 category. Mean age was 17.9(1.8) years old, (minimum 14.79, maximum 23.23). Anthropometric and body composition profiles were obtained and described in tables according to position play and category. Data is presented as mean, standard deviation, mean, minimum value and maximum value. CONCLUSION: These tables can be used as anthropometric standards for Mexican professional young soccer players, since no similar references are found in the literature in Mexico, especially using the five-way fractionation method. In addition, these tables are expected to keep on growing and they could allow to follow-up the anthropometric changes in professional soccer players, since youth to adulthood.