title: Anaerobic performance testing of professional soccer players 1995-2010.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare sprint and countermovement-jump (CMJ) performance among competitive soccer players as a function of performance level, field position, and age. In addition, the authors wanted to quantify the evolution of these physical characteristics among professional players over a 15-y period.
  
  
  METHODS
  939 athletes (22.1 ± 4.3 y), including national-team players, tested 40-m sprint with electronic timing and CMJ on a force platform at the Norwegian Olympic Training Center between 1995 and 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  National-team and 1st-division players were faster (P < .05) than 2nd-division (1.0-1.4%), 3rd- to 5th-division (3.0-3.8%), junior national-team (1.7-2.2%), and junior players (2.8-3.7%). Forwards were faster than defenders (1.4%), midfielders (2.5%), and goalkeepers (3.2%) over 0-20 m (P < .001). Midfielders jumped ~2.0 cm lower than the other playing positions (P < .05). Sprinting velocity peaked in the age range 20-28 y and declined significantly thereafter (P < .05). Players from 2006-2010 had 1-2% faster 0-20 m and peak velocity than players from the 1995-1999 and 2000-2005 epochs, whereas no differences in CMJ performance were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides effect-magnitude estimates for the influence of performance level, position, and age on sprint and CMJ performance in soccer. While CMJ performance has remained stable over the time, there has been a small but positive development in sprinting velocity among professional players.
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Olympic Federation, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Haugen
authors.forename: Espen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tønnessen
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seiler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015308:Anaerobic Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D003163:Competitive Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology; D012916:Soccer / Q000502:physiology*