The prognostic value of physiological and physical characteristics in youth soccer: A systematic review.
Level 1 - systematic review of randomized trials
Systematic review of prognostic observational studies (CEBM 2011 Level 1 for systematic reviews).
PubMed 29161984 · doi:10.1080/17461391.2017.1386719
What was done
A systematic review was conducted to assess the prognostic value of physiological (e.g., endurance, sprint, change of direction, repeated sprint ability) and physical characteristics (height, weight) in talent identification for youth soccer. Out of 6,876 identified studies, nine empirical articles met inclusion criteria.
What was found
Between 16 and 29 effect sizes were examined for endurance, sprint, and change of direction, with approximately half reaching statistical significance with small-to-moderate effects (0.37 ≤ Mdn(d) ≤ 0.57). Repeated sprint ability was examined in two studies, with all evaluated effect sizes reaching significance. In contrast, physical predictors (height and weight) yielded a low proportion of significant effect sizes (≤ 26%) and smaller magnitudes (0.23 ≤ Mdn(d) ≤ 0.29). Results varied by soccer development stage, baseline/follow-up performance levels, prognostic period, and sample size.
Why it matters
This review indicates that objective fitness attributes carry modest predictive value for future soccer success, whereas static anthropometric measures like height and weight are poor prognostic indicators on their own.
Limits
The findings are limited by a small evidence base (nine studies) and substantial heterogeneity in study designs, prognostic time horizons, developmental stages, and skill level classifications. Total participant count was not reported in the abstract.
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