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BRIEF RESEARCH REPORT article

Front. Sports Act. Living
Sec. Elite Sports and Performance Enhancement
Volume 6 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fspor.2024.1480973

Anthropometric and mechanical factors determining sprint in young soccer players: A brief report

Provisionally accepted
Alejandro Bustamante-Garrido Alejandro Bustamante-Garrido 1Esteban Aedo-Muñoz Esteban Aedo-Muñoz 2Ciro Brito Ciro Brito 3Danilo Silva-Esparza Danilo Silva-Esparza 4Jorge Perez-Contreras Jorge Perez-Contreras 5Mikel Izquierdo-Redin Mikel Izquierdo-Redin 1Hugo Cerda-Kohler Hugo Cerda-Kohler 6*
  • 1 Navarrabiomed, Hospitalario Universitario de Navarra (HUN), Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA), IdiSNA, 31008, Pamplona, Spain
  • 2 University of Santiago, Santiago, Metropolitan Region, Chile
  • 3 Juiz de Fora Federal University, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil
  • 4 Cruzados SADP, Santiago, Chile
  • 5 Santo Tomás University, Santiago, Santiago Metropolitan Region (RM), Chile
  • 6 Laboratorio de Ciencias del Ejercicio, Clínica MEDS, Santiago, Santiago Metropolitan Region (RM), Chile

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Sprint performance is a critical factor in soccer. While previous studies have extensively explored the biomechanical, physiological, and metabolic determinants of sprinting, the impact of anthropometric variables in team sports contexts, especially soccer, remains underexplored. This study aims to investigate the influence of anthropometric and mechanical variables on sprint performance in young soccer players. Fifty-eight young soccer players were evaluated in anthropometry and a 30-meter (m) sprint using radar technology. Split times in 5, 15, and 30 m were determined, in addition to the assessment of the force-velocity profile proposed by Morin and Samozino. Results: Key anthropometric variables associated with improved sprint performance included lower-limb muscle mass at distances 5 and 15 m (R 2 = 0.08 and R 2 = 0.09, respectively, both with small effects). Additionally, body composition, particularly a lower % body fat, was crucial across all sprint distances (ES: large). Among the mechanical variables, max power (R 2 = 0.997, ES: large) and maximum velocity (R 2 = 0.553, ES: large) are the mechanical variables that were most strongly associated with sprint performance over distances greater than 30 m. Soccer coaches, athletic trainers, and strength and conditioning specialists working with young athletes can apply the findings of this study to their training programming.

    Keywords: Athletic Performance, Anthropometry, force-velocity profile, Motion analysis, Soccer

    Received: 14 Aug 2024; Accepted: 09 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Bustamante-Garrido, Aedo-Muñoz, Brito, Silva-Esparza, Perez-Contreras, Izquierdo-Redin and Cerda-Kohler. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Hugo Cerda-Kohler, Laboratorio de Ciencias del Ejercicio, Clínica MEDS, Santiago, 7550557, Santiago Metropolitan Region (RM), Chile

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.