Absolute and relative maximum strength measures show differences in their correlations with sprint and jump performances in trained youth soccer players

Carl-Maximilian Wagner; Torsten Brauner; Konstantin Warneke; Tobias Stefer; Larissa Kuhn; Meike Hoffmeister; Klaus Wirth; Michael Keiner

Carl-Maximilian Wagner¹, Torsten Brauner¹, Konstantin Warneke², Tobias Stefer^1,3, Larissa Kuhn⁴, Meike Hoffmeister¹, Klaus Wirth⁵, Michael Keiner¹

¹German University of Health and Sport, Faculty of Sports Science, Berlin, Germany
²Leuphana University, Department for Exercise, Sport and Health, Lüneburg, Germany
³TSV Munich 1860 e.V., Munich, Germany
⁴Queensland University of Technology, School of Clinical Sciences & Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Brisbane, Australia
⁵University of Applied Science – Austria, Vienna, Austria

Absolute and relative maximum strength measures show differences in their correlations with sprint and jump performances in trained youth soccer players

Monten. J. Sports Sci. Med. 2023, 12(1), 69-74 | DOI: 10.26773/mjssm.230309

Abstract

Speed strength performances are heavily dependent on maximum strength. However, various strength testing methods determined inconsistent relationships between absolute and relative strength and sprint and jump performances. The aim of the study was to calculate the one tailed correlation coefficients between both the One-Repetition Maximum (1RM) and 1RM in relation to body mass (1RM/BM) in parallel squats and different jump (squat jump and countermovement jump) and sprint performances (5-, 10-, 20-, and 30-m) in youth soccer players (n= 63, 17.9±2.1 years old). Relative strength showed significantly larger correlations with jump performances (r= 0.52 to 0.58) than absolute strength (r= 0.16 to 0.26, z= -1.81 to -1.90, p= 0.029 to 0.035). However, the r values between relative strength measures and sprint performances (r= -0.32 to -0.42) were of non-statistical difference to the correlations of absolute strength measurements with sprint performances (r= -0.19 to -0.3, z= 0.349 to 1.17, p= 0.121 to 0.363). The results of this study support findings in previous literature of enhanced speed strength performances by higher levels of maximal strength in youth soccer players, with faster and more powerful athletes being able to generate larger forces against their own body weight. The data suggests that strength expressed relative to body mass might be considered as a superior predictor of speed strength performance in general.

Keywords

Squat, 1RM, linear sprint, jump, speed-strength, soccer

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