Differential Influence of General Anthropometric and Motor Predictors on Pre-planned Agility in Pubescent Boys and Girls: A Multiple Regression Study

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the influence of balance, jumping power, and speed as well as morphological variables for three different agility tests in early pubescent boys (n=73) and girls (n=63). The predictors included body height and mass, body fat, high jumps, the overall stability index, ankle mobility, and a 10 and a 15 m sprint. The statistical analysis included calculations of correlations, regression models for the correlated variables, and the validation of the regression models. The calculated regression models for the male group explained 38% of the variance in a Zig-Zag test, 12% in a 20-yard test (20Y), and 81% in a T-test. The significant regression model for the Zig-Zag test included body mass, high jumps, and a 10 m sprint. The 20Y test had no predictors in the male group. For the T-test, the only predictor was the 10 m sprint. The calculated regression models for the female group explained 57% of the variance in the Zig-Zag test, 32% in the 20Y test, and 42% in the T-test. The significant regression model in the female group included only the 10 m sprint for all three agility criteria. The regression models were cross-validated using the second half of the sample (boys: n=36; girls: n=31). The correlation between the predicted and the achieved scores provided a statistically significant validation for all agility tests.