Anthropometric characteristics and aerobic performance of professional soccer players by playing position and age

Purpose
This study examined the impact of playing position and age on professional soccer players’ anthropometric characteristics and aerobic performance.

Methods
A total of 308 professional soccer players (25.42 ± 4.66 years, 178.88 ± 6.13 cm, 76.72 ± 7.05 kg) from the Eastern Mediterranean participated in the study. They were divided into 5 playing positions (defenders, midfielders, full-backs, forwards, wingers) and categorized into 3 age groups (18–24, 25–29, 30–35 years). Anthropometric variables were recorded. In addition, maximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing on a treadmill was performed to assess the players’ aerobic physical fitness.

Results
A two-way MANOVA factorial analysis indicated that there was a significant main effect of playing position [F(12,25) = 9.34, p < 0.001] and age [F(6,548) = 6.80, p < 0.001] on the anthropometric characteristics of the players. Moreover, the multivariate analysis implied a significant main effect of age [F(4,448) = 4.47, p = 0.002] and a marginal significant effect of playing position [F(8,448) = 1.77, p = 0.81] on maximal oxygen consumption and run times. However, there was no significant interaction between playing position and age.

Conclusions
The findings of the present study significantly contribute to understanding male soccer players’ age-related and performance characteristics in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Our results can be applied to ensure training specificity, aid in contract arrangements and player replacement, and identify the best players for particular playing positions.