Full Squats Enhance Performance and Body Composition, but Not Hypertrophy, Compared to Half Squats in Elite Young...

Background: The aim was to compare the effects of full squat (FST) versus half squat training (HST) on body composition, muscle hypertrophy, and mean propulsive velocity (MPV) in young athletes. Methods: Twenty-eight highly trained male tennis players (13.88 ± 0.91 years, 166.08 ± 11.30 cm, 57.40 ± 8.99 kg, 14.34 ± 2.75% body fat) were randomly allocated to an eight-week FST or HST program. Training volume load was matched between interventions, and the only difference was the range of motion (squat depth). Pre- and post-training tests evaluated body composition (body mass and body fat percent), muscle hypertrophy (muscle volume of the thigh, calf, and leg, and cross-sectional area at half and maximum circumference of the thigh), and MPV at 45 and 50% of one-repetition maximum (1RM). An analysis of variance was used to analyze differences. Results: The results exhibited significant group-by-time interactions for body mass (p = 0.002, ηp² = 0.32), body fat (p < 0.001, ηp² = 0.71), and MPV (all p ≤ 0.005, ηp² ≥ 0.27). Post hoc comparisons showed that both groups presented significant improvements in body composition, muscle hypertrophy, and MPV (all p ≤ 0.004). However, FST outperformed HST in body fat (p = 0.032) and MPV at both %1RM (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Overall, FST would be preferred over HST for tennis training in youth athletes. Four to five sets of 8-12 repetitions at 60-70% 1RM, two days a week during preseason, appear to be sufficient to induce neuromuscular performance improvement and enhance body composition.