RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE AND PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE IN YOUTH SOCCER PLAYERS AGED U9–U13 IN TIRANA

Rezumat

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between waist circumference and two key physical performance indicators (agility and sprint speed) among youth soccer players aged U9 to U13 in Tirana, Albania.
Methods: A total of 68 male youth soccer players were assessed for waist circumference, agility using the 10×5 meter shuttle run, and speed through a 20-meter sprint test. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted for the entire sample (Table 2) and separately by age groups.
Results: In the total sample, waist circumference showed a weak and non-significant correlation with both agility (r = 0.234, p = 0.055) and sprint performance (r = 0.086, p = 0.484). However, age-specific analysis revealed stronger associations. In the U11 group, waist circumference was significantly correlated with slower agility (r = 0.447, p = 0.017) and sprint times (r = 0.542, p = 0.003). In the U13
group, a significant correlation was observed with agility (r = 0.488, p = 0.025) and a near-significant trend with sprint (r = 0.399, p = 0.073). No significant correlations were found in the U9 group.
Conclusion: While waist circumference does not appear to strongly influence agility or sprint performance in the overall sample, its impact becomes more evident in older age groups. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring body composition as part of physical development and performance assessment in youth soccer training programs.