A cross-sectional analysis of lower-body stretch-shortening cycle indicators across chronological age categories and playing positions in elite youth soccer players
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Dátum
2026
Názov časopisu
ISSN časopisu
Názov zväzku
Vydavateľ
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute : Basel
ISBN
ISSN
2673-7078
Abstrakt
Objective: To examine lower-body stretch–shortening cycle (SSC) indicators across chronological age categories and playing positions in elite male youth soccer players. Methods: In a cross-sectional design, 984 male players from Slovakia (U15–U19) completed Squat Jumps (SJ), Countermovement Jumps (CMJ), and Drop Jumps (DJ) using the OptoJump photocell system. Outcomes included Eccentric Utilization Ratio (EUR), Reactive Strength Index (RSI), DJ Ground Contact Time (DJ GCT), and Jump Heights (JH). Differences were tested using factorial ANCOVA (age category × playing position) adjusted for height and weight, followed by Tukey-adjusted post hoc comparisons (p < 0.05). Results: Significant age-category main effects were observed for DJ RSI, DJ JH, CMJ JH, SJ JH, and DJ GCT. The largest effects were for DJ JH, CMJ JH, and SJ JH (ηp2 = 0.096–0.112), whereas the DJ GCT effect was statistically significant but small (ηp2 = 0.013). EUR showed no significant differences across age categories (p = 0.586). Positional differences were limited overall and mainly evident in selected U19 outcomes, particularly jump-height variables and DJ GCT. Conclusions: Lower-body SSC performance increased across chronological age categories, with the largest separation in jump-height and reactive strength outcomes. These differences likely reflect a combination of maturation, training exposure, and selection rather than chronological age alone. EUR remained stable across age categories and playing positions, although the JH-based ratio has limited sensitivity in the present test configuration. Positional separation emerged mainly at U19, supporting broad SSC development across earlier youth categories and position-sensitive interpretation in the oldest cohort.
Popis
In: Biomechanics. Basel : Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2026. ISSN 2673-7078. Vol. 6, no 2 (2026), pp. 1-15.
Kľúčové slová
plyometria, plyometrics, futbal, soccer, football, index reaktívnej sily, reactive strength index
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CC BY Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess