Relationships between the chronological and biological age, and physical performance of elite youth invasion games players during the course of a season

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the influence of biological age on the physical performance of elite youth athletes, whilst validating current methods of measuring maturity levels.
Methods: A sample of one hundred and ninety one male elite youth athletes participated in a measurement of maturity using a direct and indirect method over the course of a season. Seventy-three of this focussed non-random sample of elite youth
games players took part in the measurement of !BUA (Broadband Ultrasound AtienGafiari) at the dald'a'rie'u"§ to idéñiif' skeletal thaturity and frovidé a ndrnátivC data set for this method. An indirect method of maturity measurement by Sherar ci al. (2005) involved a series of anthropometric measurements followed by various calculations to provide a normative data set. The zlationships between these two measurements of biological maturity were identified using Pearson's product moment correlation coefficient. The tracking of physical performance over the course of a season involved a series of field'based tests that were recorded over three separate test occasions. Results: Anthropometric measurements indicated elite youth soccer lâ9ê to be en aVèPagè ialler (5.91àth) than a similar aged géhéial population, additionally these same athletes were found to have on average a greater body mass (6.3kg) than the same set of norm scales. A normative data set for the measurement of BUA (dBIMHz) was generated ranging from 51.64- 85.25 ± 8.07-18.85 (mean ± s.d.).
Significant correlations were established between BUA and all Sherar determined values (p0.05). The profiling of physical performance against a similar aged population highlighted superior physical performance from the elite athletes. Vertical
jump performance had a greater mean average of 8.1cm. Performance from the 10 x 5tii shuttle tdn als'd ek&6ded ñótm séálës by a thean ave'iFae of 5.09 sëddhdsl The tracking of performance highlighted progressive imp rovements in performance in all field-based tests. However, plateaus in performance were prevalent in most as the season progressed. Conclusions: Results found the Sherar method to be a useful tool to assess biological maturity in young athletes. The recording of physical performance over the course of a season indicated young elite athletes to have a superior level of
skill and fitness than similar aged population norms. Comparisons also indicated these elite athletes to be on average taller and have a larger body mass than comparative norms.