Performance on sprint, agility and jump tests have moderate to strong correlations in youth football players but performance tests are weakly correlated to neuromuscular control tests

Sofi Sonesson,Martin Hägglund,Hanna Lindblom

doi:10.1007/s00167-020-06302-z

Sofi Sonesson, Martin Hägglund + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-020-06302-z

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Abstract

PurposeThis study aimed at evaluating the correlation between seven different performance tests and two neuromuscular control tests in youth football players and to evaluate the influence of sex and age groups on test results.MethodsOne-hundred and fifteen football players (66 boys, 49 girls) mean age 14 ± 0.7 (range 13–16) years from youth teams were tested at the start of the second half of the competitive season. A test battery including agility t-test, 505 agility test, single-leg hop for distance test, side-hop test, countermovement jump test, 10-m sprint test, 20-m sprint test, tuck jump assessment (TJA) and drop vertical jump (DVJ) was completed.ResultsCorrelations between the seven different performance tests of agility, jump and sprint ability were generally moderate to strong (r = 0.534–0.971). DVJ did not correlate with the performance tests (rho = 0.004 to – 0.101) or with TJA total score (rho = 0.127). There were weak to moderate correlations between TJA total score and the performance tests (r = – 0.323–0.523). Boys performed better than girls in all performance tests (p < 0.001) and in TJA total score (p = 0.002). In boys, older players performed better than younger players in the majority of the tests, while there was no clear age influence among girls.ConclusionSprint performance was moderately to strongly correlated with agility and jump performance, and performance tests were weakly to moderately correlated to TJA, while DVJ did not correlate with the other tests. Boys performed better than girls on performance tests and TJA. An age effect on performance was evident in boys but not in girls.Level of evidenceLevel IVTrial registrationClinical Trials gov identifier: NCT03251404

Highlights

Performance tests are often used to evaluate agility, jump and sprint performance in athletes, which are important physical attributes for successful participation in team sports [31, 33]
Correlations between different performance tests were moderate to strong (r = 0.534–0.971), except between 505-agility test and side hop (r = – 0.487)
There were weak to moderate correlations between tuck jump assessment (TJA) total score and the seven performance tests (r = – 0.329–0.523)

Summary

Introduction

Performance tests are often used to evaluate agility, jump and sprint performance in athletes, which are important physical attributes for successful participation in team sports [31, 33]. A battery of field-based tests has been recommended to assess various aspects of performance and neuromuscular control in male youth football players [36]. Reduced neuromuscular control and increased knee valgus loading are associated with increased risk of ACL injury [16], and this movement pattern is common in youth female players [32]. Different tests are used to assess different key components of physical performance and neuromuscular control [36] but the correlation between various aspects of performance and neuromuscular control in youth football players is unclear. The purposes were (1) to evaluate the correlation between seven different performance tests and two neuromuscular control tests in youth football players, and (2) to evaluate the influence of sex and age groups on test results

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