title: Relationships between anthropometric measures and athletic performance, with special reference to repeated-sprint ability, in the Qatar national soccer team.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine potential relationships between anthropometric parameters and athletic performance with special consideration to repeated-sprint ability (RSA). Sixteen players of the senior male Qatar national soccer team performed a series of anthropometric and physical tests including countermovement jumps without (CMJ) and with free arms (CMJwA), straight-line 20 m sprint, RSA (6 × 35 m with 10 s recovery) and incremental field test. Significant (P < 0.05) relationships occurred between muscle-to-bone ratio and both CMJs height (r ranging from 0.56 to 0.69) as well as with all RSA-related variables (r < -0.53 for sprinting times and r = 0.54 for maximal sprinting speed) with the exception of the sprint decrement score (Sdec). The sum of six skinfolds and adipose mass index were largely correlated with Sdec (r = 0.68, P < 0.01 and r = 0.55, P < 0.05, respectively) but not with total time (TT, r = 0.44 and 0.33, P > 0.05, respectively) or any standard athletic tests. Multiple regression analyses indicated that muscular cross-sectional area for mid-thigh, adipose index, straight-line 20 m time, maximal sprinting speed and CMJwA are the strongest predictors of Sdec (r(2) = 0.89) and TT (r(2) = 0.95) during our RSA test. In the Qatar national soccer team, players' power-related qualities and RSA are associated with a high muscular profile and a low adiposity. This supports the relevance of explosive power for the soccer players and the larger importance of neuromuscular qualities determining the RSA.
authors.affiliation: a Institute of Sport Sciences (ISSUL), Department of Physiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine , University of Lausanne , Lausanne , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Franck
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Brocherie
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Girard
authors.forename: Fabricio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Forchino
authors.forename: Hani
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Al Haddad
authors.forename: Gilvan A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Dos Santos
authors.forename: Grégoire P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Millet
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D001823:Body Composition; D005080:Exercise Test; D005221:Fatigue / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D010806:Physical Education and Training / Q000379:methods; D011780:Qatar; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology*; D012916:Soccer / Q000502:physiology*; D013008:Somatotypes; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: adiposity; body composition; multiple sprints; muscle-to-bone ratio; somatotype; team-sport performance