Research summary · Youth development
Growth rate, performance and limb asymmetry in youth soccer
A Portuguese professional academy assessed 129 male youth players across jumping, sprinting, change-of-direction and strength tests, comparing groups with faster, intermediate and slower annual height growth.
- Publication year
- 2026
- First published online
- Publication type
- Cross-sectional observational study
- Journal
- Journal of Sports Sciences
- Population / context
- Elite male under-14 to under-19 soccer
What the publication reports
Slower-growing players were generally older, more biologically mature and better-performing on physical tests. Inter-limb asymmetry did not differ clearly by growth group, and the side favoured by an asymmetry varied considerably across tasks.
Limits and interpretation
Growth rate, age and maturity were interrelated, so the cross-sectional comparisons cannot isolate a causal effect of rapid growth. Exploratory correlations were not adjusted for multiple testing. Single-academy, male-only findings do not establish an injury-risk threshold or a training prescription.
Read the source
Consult the original record for the full author list, methods, references, funding and competing-interest disclosures.
Impact of growth rate on physical performance and inter-limb asymmetry in young elite male soccer players
Original publication / indexed recordPMID: 42572198DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2026.2713900Full text at the sourceReader discussion
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