Impact of biological maturation on physical tests performance in Portuguese elite male academy soccer players
Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Lusofona University, 1749-024 Lisbon, Portugal
CIDEFES, Research Center in Sports, Physical Education, Exercise and Health, Universidade Lusofona, 1749-024 Lisbon, Portugal
Medical and Performance Department, Sporting Clube de Portugal, Lisbon, Portugal
Department of Communication and Education, Universidad Loyola Andalucia, Seville, Spain
CIFI2D, Centre of Research, Education, Innovation and Intervention in Sport, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
COD, Center of Sports Optimization, Sporting Clube de Portugal, 1600-464 Lisbon, Portugal
Performance and Analytics Department, Parma Calcio 1913, 43121 Parma, Italy
Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome Foro Italico, Piazza L. de Bosis 6, 00135 Rome, Italy
Global Performance Insights Ltd, London, United Kingdom
School of Health and Sports Sciences, University of Suffolk, Ipswich IP4 1QJ, United Kingdom
School of Science, Technology and Health, York St John University, York, United Kingdom
LFE Research Group, Department of Health and Human Performance, Faculty of Physical Activity and Sport Science (INEF), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, C/Martín Fierro 7, 28040, Madrid, Spain
Biol Sport. 2026;43:1533–1546
This study examined the influence of biological maturation on the physical performance of highly skilled U-14 – U-17 male soccer players, specifically focusing on sprinting, jumping, and aerobic capacity. Sixtyseven players from a professional academy in Portugal participated in two seasons (2021–2023). Maturation was assessed at six time points, and players were categorized into pre- and circa-peak height velocity (PHV) and post-PHV groups. Owing to the small pre-PHV sample size (n = 4), these were combined with the circa-PHV group for the analysis. Key physical attributes were measured, and maturity was assessed using the predicted percentage of adult height. Mixed-effects models indicated that chronological age significantly influenced physical performance, with older players demonstrating a superior change in direction speed (p < 0.001) and sprint performance (p < 0.001), whereas maturity status had no additional effect. Maturity status interacted with age in the jumping height test (p = 0.001), with post-PHV players showing greater improvement. Chronological age and biological maturity significantly influenced endurance (p = 0.001) and maximal strength (p = 0.020), with post-PHV players exhibiting greater gains. Chronological age and biological maturation significantly affected the physical performance of young soccer players. Relying solely on age may overlook developmental factors and underscore the need for tailored training and assessment strategies.
Keywords
Maturation, Physical performance tests, Performance indicators, Field testing, Young athletes, Long-term athletic development
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