Relationship Between Duration of Competition with Maturity, Aerobic Capacity, Anaerobic Power, Explosive Power, Growth Hormone and Insulin-Like Factor and Predictors of Duration of Competition in Elite Football Players Under 15 Years Old Boy

This study aimed to investigate the correlation between playing time in the matches with maturity status, physical fitness, hormone levels and to explain how these factors affect playing time in the matches.

In the present study 30 elite football players under 15 years old were monitored during the season to evaluate the relationship between playing time in the matches and skeletal age, VO2max, fatigue index, Counter Movement Jump, growth hormone, and IGF-1 and after the end of the season, they were evaluated in anthropometric tests, maturity status, hormonal level and physical fitness in 4 days.

Growth hormone had a high correlation (P=0.05) with VO2max (r = 0.52) and Counter Movement Jump (r = 0.53). In addition, fatigue index (r = -0.44) and IGF-1 (R=0.39) had moderate correlation (P = 0.05) with playing time in the matches. In linear regression, it was found that fatigue index (R2 = 0.19) and IGF-1 (R2 = 0.15) significantly (P= 0.05) could predict the playing time in the matches. Multiple linear regression also explained 49% of the playing time in the matches.

Independent variables like fatigue index and IGF-1 were able to determine the game time, and when all variables were entered, the playing time model significantly was explained. Therefore, maturity, physical fitness, and hormonal levels seem to play a decisive role in explaining the time of participation in the matches in youth football players.