Authors
Sasa Markovic, Tatjana Trivic, Dejan Javorac, Slavko Molnar, Zeljko Sekulic, Nemanja Zlojutro, Patrik Drid
Published in
Research in sports medicine (Print). Pages 1-20. Sep 10, 2026. Epub Sep 10, 2026.
Abstract
This study investigates differences in hormonal status, anthropometric measurements, technical skills, and motor performance among young football players across different stages of biological maturation. A total of 261 male players aged 11 to 14 from Bosnia and Herzegovina were divided into two competitive age groups: younger (11-12 years, 12.20 ± 0.57 years) and older (13-14 years, 14.23 ± 0.52 years). Skeletal age was determined using the Greulich-Pyle method. The players were evaluated for chronological age, skeletal age, age peak height velocity, body composition, hormonal levels (DHEA-S and IGF-1), sprint performance, agility, jumping ability, soccer-specific technical skills, and endurance capacity. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics, including descriptive statistics, ANOVA, t-tests, and effect size (η2), with p < 0.05. In the younger group (11-12 years), significant differences were found in skeletal age, APHV, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, and hormonal levels (DHEA-S, IGF-1). However, no significant differences were observed in motor performance. In contrast, the older group (13-14 years) demonstrated significant maturation-related differences, including sprint performance, agility, and jump tests. Early maturation provides a significant advantage in anthropometric and motor performance, particularly among older players, and should be considered in talent identification and selection processes.
PMID:
42723265
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 11 Sep 2026.
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