Anthropometric and physical fitness comparisons between Australian and Qatari male sport school athletes

Background: The increasing focus on international sporting success has led to many countries introducing sport schools and academies. Limited empirical evidence exists that directly compares student-athletes from different continents. This study investigated whether male Australian and Qatari student-athletes differ in anthropometry, physical fitness and biological maturity. Methods: 150 male student-athletes (72 Qatari, 78 Australian; age = 11.8-18.6 y) completed a fitness testing session involving anthropometric (standing height, sitting height, leg length, body mass, peak height velocity (PHV) measures) and physical capacity (40 m sprint, countermovement jump (CMJ), predicted maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) tests. Differences were assessed using a one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), effect size (Cohen’s d) and regression coefficients. Results: The Australian student-athletes possessed a greater standing height and body mass (P < 0.01) at their age at PHV (APHV) and had an increased rate of leg length development (P < 0.05) in contrast to the sitting height of the Qataris (P < 0.01). The Qatari student-athletes had significantly (P < 0.01) faster 40 m sprint times (mean±SD: 5.88±0.53 vs 6.19±0.44 s) and greater CMJ heights (36.9 ± 7.2 vs 34.0 ± 6.0 cm) than their Australian counterparts. Although not statistically different, the Qatari student-athletes also matured earlier (APHV: d = 0.35) and had greater aerobic power results (predicted VO2max: d = 0.22). Conclusions: Despite lower stature and body mass values, Qatari student-athletes exhibited physical fitness ascendancy over their Australian counterparts

A multidimensional approach to factors influencing playing level and position in a school-based soccer programme

© 2017, © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Objectives: To examine the factors influencing selection into playing levels and playing positions in a school-based soccer programme. Methods: Anthropometry, maturation, physical capacity, technical ability and motor competence were assessed in 216 soccer players (aged 10–16 years) who participated in a school-based soccer programme. Team coaches selected players into playing levels, playing positions and provided subjective ratings of player ability. Results: Multivariate analyses of covariance showed significant large and moderate differences between playing levels (F = 5.336, P < 0.001, η2 =.30) and playing positions (F = 1.974, P = 0.002, η2 =.14) respectively, for a combination of maturation, anthropometry, physical capacity, technical ability and motor competence, when adjusted for chronological age. Discriminant analysis revealed 64.8% of cases could be correctly classified into playing level with a combination of sprint speed, agility, aerobic fitness, technical ability and motor competence. Large differences in subjective coach ratings were found between positions for players in the highest playing level (F = 2.598, P = 0.001, η2 =.16). Conclusions: These findings contribute new evidence to highlight how individual characteristics influence the selection process in recreational youth soccer, which have important implications for talent development pathways in schools, clubs and academies

Factors affecting perception of effort (session rating of perceived exertion) during rugby league training

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE) for monitoring training intensity in rugby league. Methods: Thirty-two professional rugby league players participated in this study. Training-load (TL) data were collected during an entire season and assessed via microtechnology (heart-rate [HR] monitors, global positioning systems [GPS], and accelerometers) and sRPE. Within-individual correlation analysis was used to determine relationships between sRPE and various other measures of training intensity and load. Stepwise multiple regressions were used to determine a predictive equation to estimate sRPE during rugby league training. Results: There were significant within-individual correlations between sRPE and various other internal and external measures of intensity and load. The stepwise multiple-regression analysis also revealed that 62.4% of the adjusted variance in sRPE-TL could be explained by TL measures of distance, impacts, body load, and training impulse (y = 37.21 + 0.93 distance - 0.39 impacts + 0.18 body load + 0.03 training impulse). Furthermore, 35.2% of the adjusted variance in sRPE could be explained by exercise-intensity measures of percentage of peak HR (%HRpeak), impacts/min, m/min, and body load/min (y = -0.01 + 0.37%HRpeak + 0.10 impacts/min + 0.17 m/min + 0.09 body load/min). Conclusion: A combination of internal and external TL factors predicts sRPE in rugby league training better than any individual measures alone. These findings provide new evidence to support the use of sRPE as a global measure of exercise intensity in rugby league training. © 2013 Human Kinetics, Inc

Factors affecting physical match activity and skill involvement in youth soccer

© 2017, © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Objectives: To examine the factors affecting both physical and technical match activity in youth soccer. Methods: Activity profiles (physical) and skill involvements (technical) were collected from 160 players (aged 11–17 years) across one season in a recreational, school-based soccer program. Team coaches selected players into playing levels and playing positions, and individual fitness characteristics were obtained. Three linear mixed models examined the influence of playing level, playing position and individual fitness characteristics on both physical (relative total distance; TD; m·min–1, relative high-speed running distance; HSR; m·min–1) and technical match activity (relative skill involvements; involvements·min–1). Results: Midfielders performed higher TD (attackers: –5.6%, fullbacks: –7.6%, central defenders: –13.6%) and skill involvements (attackers: –25.4%, fullbacks: –21.8%, central defenders: –27.3%) compared to all other positions. Attackers performed the most (11.3%), and central defenders the least HSR distance (–22.2%). Individual fitness characteristics were positively associated with both TD and HSR. Skill involvement was also increased by TD. Conclusions: These findings highlight the complex interaction of factors influencing developmental opportunities during soccer match play. As playing position was shown to influence match activity in the present cohort, varying positions is important to maximise skill and physical development opportunities in young soccer players

The influence of restricted visual feedback on dribbling performance in youth soccer players

© 2017 Human Kinetics, Inc. The aim of the current study was to examine the influence of restricted visual feedback using stroboscopic eyewear on the dribbling performance of youth soccer players. Three dribble test conditions were used in a within-subjects design to measure the effect of restricted visual feedback on soccer dribbling performance in 189 youth soccer players (age: 10-18 y) classified as fast, average or slow dribblers. The results showed that limiting visual feedback increased dribble test times across all abilities. Furthermore, the largest performance decrement between stroboscopic and full vision conditions was in fast dribblers, showing that fast dribblers were most affected by reduced visual information. This may be due to a greater dependency on visual feedback at increased speeds, which may limit the ability to maintain continuous control of the ball. These findings may have important implications for the development of soccer dribbling ability

Effects of a very congested match schedule on body-load impacts, accelerations, and running measures in youth soccer players

PURPOSE: To analyze the effects of a very congested match schedule on the total distance (TD) covered, high-intensity-running (HIR) distance, and frequency of accelerations and body-load impacts (BLIs) performed in a team of under-15 soccer players (N=10; 15.1±0.2 y, 171.8±4.7 cm, 61±6.0 kg) during an international youth competition. METHODS: Using global positioning systems, player performances were repeatedly monitored in 5 matches performed over 3 successive days. RESULTS: Significant differences were observed between matches (P<.05) for the frequency of accelerations per minute, BLIs, and BLIs per minute. No differences were observed for the TD covered, TD run per minute, number of high-intensity runs, distance covered in HIR, per-minute peak running speed attained, or frequency of accelerations. The frequency of accelerations per minute decreased across the competition while BLIs were higher during the final than in all other matches. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that BLIs and acceleration might be used as an alternative means to represent the external load during congested match schedules rather than measures related to running speed or distance covered