Associations between Change of Direction, Balance, Speed, and Muscle Power in Prepubescent Soccer Players

Raouf Hammami¹, Urs Granacher², Fabio Pizzolato³, Mehdi Chaouachi¹, Moktar Chtara¹, David G Behm^4* and Anis Chaouachi^1,5

¹Tunisian Research Laboratory “Sport Performance Optimisation”, National Center of Medicine and Science in Sports (CNMSS), Tunis, Tunisia

²Division of Training and Movement Sciences, Research Focus Cognition Sciences, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany

³Department of Neurological and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Via Casorati 43, 37131, Verona, Italy

⁴School of Human Kinetics and Recreation, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s Newfoundland

⁵AUT University, Sports Performance Research Institute New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand

*Corresponding Author : David G. Behm
School of Human Kinetics and Recreation, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland, A1C 5S7, Canada
Tel: 709-864-3408
E-mail: dbehm@mun.ca

Received: September 04, 2017 Accepted: October 16, 2017 Published: October 23, 2017

Citation: Hammami R, Granacher U, Pizzolato F, Chaouachi M, Chtara M, et al. (2017) Associations between Change of Direction, Balance, Speed, and Muscle Power in Prepubescent Soccer Players. J Athl Enhanc 6:6. doi: 10.4172/2324-9080.1000279

Relationships between change of direction (CoD), balance, speed, and power are less extensively studied in youth but provide important information for training. The aim of this study was to determine associations between CoD, balance, speed, and leg power in prepubescent soccer players. Thirty young male soccer players (9.26 ± 0.76 years; Peak-Height-Velocity: -3.42 ± 0.47 years) were assessed for CoD (shuttle run), Y-balance, speed (10-30-m sprint), and muscle power (unilateral, bilateral countermovement jumps [CMJ], unilateral, bilateral standing long jumps [SLJ], and triple hop test). Positive correlations were observed between the shuttle run, and 10-m (r=0.46) and 30-m sprint time (r= 0.47). Negative correlations were found between the shuttle run and SLJ (r=-0.44), bilateral CMJ (r= -0.42), and composite Y-balance (r=−0.49). Linear stepwise regression analysis revealed that 25% of the adjusted variance in the shuttle run test was explained by the Y-balance test (F=9.28; p<0.005). When the 10-m sprint test was added, explained variance amounted to 47% (F=11.87; p<0.001). Medium-sized associations were illustrated between speed, dynamic balance, and CoD in prepubescent soccer players. A greater emphasis on balance and sprint training might be an advantage for youth with less developed neuromuscular capabilities to improve CoD abilities.