Leg Muscle Power in 12-Year-Old Black and White Tunisian Football Players

Abstract

This study examined leg muscle power of young male Tunisian black and white football players and extended the analysis to determine whether there is a relationship between cycling peak power output (PPO) and some field tests. A total of 113 children (white group (WG) = n = 56; black group (BG) = n = 57) participated in this investigation. Anthropometric data included age, body mass (BM), height, leg length (LL), body mass index (BMI), and leg muscle volume (LMV). Cycling PPO was measured including a force–velocity test. Peak power output (PPO; W and W/kg), Fopt (optimal braking force), and Vopt (optimal velocity) were significantly higher in the WG compared with the BG (p < 0.05). However, jump and sprint performances of the BG were significantly higher than the WG (p < 0.05). Multiple stepwise regression with anthropometric variables and the extrapolated values of the force–velocity test as explanatory factors showed that 33% of the variance of PPO of BG was explained by qualitative factors that may be related to cycling skill, muscle composition, and socioeconomic and training status.

Keywords:

• race
• muscle power
• field tests
• football
• boys

Acknowledgments

We thank M. Toumi and M. Ouihichi for their valuable help and, all children and professors of Mareth and coaches of ESS for their collaboration. The authors have no conflict of interest with this study finding. This study was financially supported by Ministère de l'Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche Scientifique et de la Technologie, Tunisia.