Owen Cameron, Till Kevin, Phibbs Padraic, Read Dale J, Weakley Jonathon, Atkinson Mark, Cross Matt, Kemp Simon, Sawczuk Thomas, Stokes Keith, Williams Sean, Jones Ben
Carnegie Applied Rugby Research (CARR) Centre, Carnegie School of Sport, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, UK.
England Performance Unit, Rugby Football League Ltd, Leeds, UK.
Eur J Sport Sci. 2023 Feb;23(2):178-188. doi: 10.1080/17461391.2021.2023658. Epub 2022 Feb 10.
Interpreting the physical qualities of youth athletes is complex due to the effects of growth, maturation and development. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of position, chronological age, relative age and maturation on the physical qualities of elite male academy rugby union players. 1,424 participants (= 2,381 observations) from nine Rugby Football Union regional academies prospectively completed a physical testing battery at three time points, across three playing seasons. Anthropometrics, body composition, muscular power, muscular strength, speed, aerobic capacity and running momentum were assessed. Positional differences were identified for all physical qualities. The largest effect sizes were observed for the associations between chronological age (= 0.65-0.73) and maturation (= -0.77 to -0.69) and body mass related variables (i.e. body mass and running momentum). Relative strength, maximum velocity and aerobic capacity were the only models to include two fixed effects with all other models including at least three fixed effects (i.e. position and a combination of chronological age, relative age and maturation). These findings suggest a multidimensional approach considering position, chronological age, relative age and maturation is required to effectively assess the physical qualities of male age grade rugby union players. Therefore practitioners should use regression equations rather than traditional descriptive statistic tables to provide individualised normative comparisons thus enhancing the application of testing results for talent identification and player development. Practitioners should record and incorporate position, chronological age, relative age and maturation into the physical evaluation of elite academy rugby union players.The regression equations provided within this study offer highly generalisable comparative values that are specific to a players chronological and biological development.Through the use of enhanced player evaluation practitioners will be able to make more informed decisions surrounding talent identification and athlete development.
由于生长、成熟和发育的影响，解读青年运动员的身体素质较为复杂。本研究旨在评估位置、实际年龄、相对年龄和成熟度对精英男子学院英式橄榄球联盟球员身体素质的影响。来自九个英式橄榄球联盟地区学院的1424名参与者（=2381次观察）在三个比赛赛季的三个时间点前瞻性地完成了一系列体能测试。评估了人体测量学、身体成分、肌肉力量、肌肉爆发力、速度、有氧能力和跑步动量。发现所有身体素质均存在位置差异。实际年龄（=0.65 - 0.73）和成熟度（=-0.77至-0.69）与体重相关变量（即体重和跑步动量）之间的关联观察到最大效应量。相对力量、最大速度和有氧能力是仅包含两个固定效应的模型，而所有其他模型至少包含三个固定效应（即位置以及实际年龄、相对年龄和成熟度的组合）。这些发现表明，需要采用一种考虑位置、实际年龄、相对年龄和成熟度的多维度方法来有效评估男子年龄组英式橄榄球联盟球员的身体素质。因此，从业者应使用回归方程而非传统描述性统计表来提供个性化的规范比较，从而增强测试结果在人才识别和球员发展中的应用。从业者应记录并将位置、实际年龄、相对年龄和成熟度纳入精英学院英式橄榄球联盟球员的体能评估中。本研究提供的回归方程提供了高度可推广的比较值，这些值特定于球员的实际年龄和生物发育情况。通过使用强化的球员评估，从业者将能够围绕人才识别和运动员发展做出更明智的决策。
