You are not wrong about getting strong: An insight into the impact of age group and level of competition on strength in Spanish football players
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Title
International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance
Volume
19
Issue
7
First Page
629
Last Page
636
PubMed ID
38648884
Publisher
Human Kinetics
School
School of Medical and Health Sciences
Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to compare the maximum and rapid force production of Spanish football players and explore the differences between age group and level of competition. Methods: A cross-sectional study was developed to evaluate the peak force (PF), relative PF, and rate of force development over 250 ms (RFD0-250) during the isometric midthigh pull between groups of football players based on age group (senior vs junior) and level of competition (national vs regional). Using a portable isometric rig, 111 football players performed 2 isometric midthigh-pull trials on a force plate. Two-way analysis of variance with Bonferroni post hoc correction was applied, and statistical significance was set at P ≤ .05. The PF, relative PF, and RFD0-250 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 percentiles were also calculated and descriptively reported, separated by age group and level of competition. Results: The analysis of variance revealed a significant main effect of the level of competition for the PF (P < .001), relative PF (P = .003), and RFD0-250 (P < .001). There was a significant main effect of age group for the PF (P < .001). There was a significant interaction effect of the age group × level of competition for relative PF (P = .014). National players were stronger than regional players on the PF and RFD0-250 (P < .001). Senior players were stronger than junior players for the PF (P < .001). Conclusions: Maximum and rapid force production are crucial for Spanish football players as they progress in both level of competition and age group. Practitioners should encourage young football players to prioritize strength development to improve their athletic performance.
DOI
10.1123/ijspp.2023-0510
Access Rights
subscription content
Comments
Soriano, M. A., Paredes, V., Comfort, P., Jiménez-Ormeño, E., Areces-Corcuera, F., Giráldez-Costas, V., Gallo-Salazar, C., Alonso-Aubín, D. A., Menchén-Rubio, M., & McMahon, J. J. (2024). “You are not wrong about getting strong:” An insight into the impact of age group and level of competition on strength in Spanish football players. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 19(7), 629-636 https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2023-0510