Abstract
There is a strong relationship between body composition and performance in male soccer players. This study aimed to display an optimal body height and weight, and body composition profile of male soccer players for four competitive age groups. This cross-sectional study included four groups: U-15 (n = 152), U-17 (n = 154), U-19 (n = 61), and seniors (n = 27). Body height and weight were measured under standard conditions, and the bioelectrical impedance analyzer (BIA) analyzed body composition. On average, soccer players in the U-15 group had significantly lower body height, weight, body mass index, skeletal muscle mass, fat-free mass, total body water and basal metabolic rate than U-17, U-19 and seniors, but a higher percentage of body fat than U-17 and U-19, p < 0.05. In addition, the results show significant non-linear increases in body height, weight and body composition as the age of soccer players increases, with the exception of the percentage of body fat mass, which tends to significantly decrease with age. The main findings of this study are that body fat mass remains stable and similar across all age groups, including in the senior squad.
Highlights
Success in sports has been associated with specific morphological characteristics [1].This was confirmed by Gardasevic et al [2]
We found that all study outcomes tend to significantly increase with the increased age groups of soccer players, except for the percentage of body fat mass, which tends to decrease
According to the results from this study, the required body composition profile of soccer players in older categories is different from the advisable profile in U-15, where younger soccer players tend to have lower absolute values of morphological characteristics
Summary
Success in sports has been associated with specific morphological characteristics [1]. This was confirmed by Gardasevic et al [2]. Gardasevic et al stated that morphological characteristics and body composition are one of the most important characteristics for complex sports games such as soccer [2], soccer players change their morphological content during the season. Research concerning the impact of morphological characteristics on soccer performance is not straightforward, mainly because of the playing positions, and because of the individual characteristics of players [4]. Monitoring of body composition can help players to improve their performance and evaluate applied training plan results [5], which is an important part of the training process
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