Muscle strength and bone health in young soccer players according to maturity stage

Abstract

Objective: To compare the performance of muscular strength and bone health in young soccer players according to maturity stage.

Methodology: A descriptive-transversal study was carried out in 66 young soccer players with an age range of 14 to 20 years. Weight, standing height, sitting height, femur diameters and right forearm length were measured. Manual grip strength of both hands (MPF) and abdominal muscular endurance (AMR) tests were evaluated. Bone health indicators of bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) and maturity status of the young were estimated by non-invasive anthropometric equations.

Results: The mean age was 16.6±1.53 years. In BMD and BMC there were significant differences between all maturity status categories 0APVC, 1APVC, 2APVC and 3APVC (p<0.05). In FPM (average of both hands) there were significant differences between 0APVC with the other maturity status levels (1APVC, 2APVC and 3 APVC) (p<0.05), however, there were no significant differences between 1PAVC, 2APVC and 3APVC (p>0.05). In the RMA test there were significant between 0APVC with 1APVC, 2APVC and 3APVC, furthermore, youth categorized with 2APVC and 3PVC differed with those categorized with 1APVC (p<0.05). The relationships between maturity status with bone health indicators (BMD and BMC) and muscle strength in the pubescent youth group (0APVC) were lower than those of youth categorized as post-pubertal (+1APVC).

Conclusion: Young people categorized as pubertal (0APVC) presented lower values of BMD, BMC and performance in muscle strength tests in relation to their peers with more advanced maturity stages.