VO2max and body composition during puberty: comparison between children participating in systematic soccer training and children not training

Abstract

This study compares the VO2max and body composition during puberty. The sample consisted of 102 male children (aged 8 to 17 years old) participating in systematic soccer training and 87 children not involved in any type of systematic sports training (control group). Subjects were classifi ed by the fi ve sexual maturity stages (Tanner, 1962). The percentage of body fat was estimated using Slaughter’s (1988) equation. The shuttle run test was used to determine VO2max (Léger, 1988). Two-way ANOVA and the Tukey post-hoc test were applied to the results of the dependent measures (p< 0.05). The soccer training group exhibited lower percentage body fat compared to the control group at Tanner Stages 1 (14.23±5.60 / 11.25±3.27) and 5 (12.52±4.20 / 15.57±3.56). The subjects in the training group exhibited signifi cantly higher VO2max (ml·kg-1·min-1) values than the control group (Stage 1: 52.75 ± 3.93 / 49.55 ± 2.58; Stage 2: 53.00±4.49 / 47.95±2.38; Stage 3: 54.32±3.29 / 48.36±2.30; Stage 4: 54.35±4.3 / 44.06±2.53; Stage 5: 53.24±3.78 / 39.69±4.84). These results suggest that the subjects engaged in systematic soccer training had superior levels of cardiorespiratory fi tness compared to those not engaged in any type sports training.