Relationship between Physical fitness and anthropometric characteristics in professional Middlefield soccer players of the Syria Arab republic


Abstract in English

The goal of this study is to identify certain essential Anthropometric and physiological measurements for midfielders in the Syrian Premier League and to study the relation between these variables in relation to the midfield position. For this purpose, this study was applied to 70 midfielders in the Syrian Premier League from 9 teams in the League. After that, certain anthropometric measurements, like height, weight, Body Mass Index BMI, Maximal Oxygen Uptake (VO2 max), Shuttle Run Test 20m-Test, and Jump and Reach Test, were collected. The research showed the following results: Average weight is 70.6 ± 6.43kg, average height is 174.79 ±5.28 cm, and BMI 23.10 ±1.64 which all are similar to the results of other researches, but we found a clear difference in the results of physiological tests VO2max where the players achieved an average of 51.21 ± 5.57 ml.kg-1.min-1 which is less than the results of many international studies and less than average numbers achieved by the elite international soccer players which vary between 55 and 68 (ml.kg-1.min-1). In Jump and Reach Tests, average height was 46.153 ±56.92 cm which is also less than the results achieved in Soccer. After studying the relation between the physical measurements with the VO2max and Jumping, no relation was found between the height and Oxygen Uptake (P> 0.05, r =0.06) and between the height and jump (P> 0.05, r = 0.02), and we were also not able to find a relation between the height and VO2max (P> 0.05, r = 0.08) nor between the height and jump (P> 0.05, r = 0.06), or between BMI and VO2max (P> 0.05, r = 0.06), or between the height and jump (P> 0.05, r =0.11). In the end, we can say that the physical measurements of the professional midfielders in the Syrian Premier League are similar to other measurements all over the world while the physiological capabilities in vertical jumping and Maximal Oxygen Uptake are less than the results given by other studies conducted to the elite soccer players in the world.

References used

Helgerud J, Engen LC, Wisloff U, Hoff J. Aerobic endurance training improves soccer performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2001;33:1925-31
Rampinini E, Coutts AJ, Castagna C, Sassi R, Impellizzeri FM. Variation in top level soccer match performance. Int J Sports Med. 2007;28:1018-24
Rampinini, E, Coutts, AJ, Castagna, C, Sassi, R, and Impellizzeri, FM. Variation in top level soccer match performance. Int J Sports Med. 2007, pp. 28: 1018–1024

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