Examination of player level and body composition-performance associations in Finnish elite women's soccer

This cross-sectional study aimed to compare body composition and physical performance between national-team selected and non-selected female soccer players, and to examine the potential associations between body composition and physical performance.

Forty-five female players were divided into two groups: national-team players (N.=22, 22±3 years) and league players (not selected to national-team N.=23, 22±4 years) players. Body composition was assessed using the Inbody 720 device, and physical performance was measured by the following field tests: 30-meter sprint test, Countermovement Jump (CMJ) Test, and the 1200-meter shuttle run test to estimate maximal aerobic speed (MAS).

No significant differences in body composition were found between groups, but national-team players were faster in the 30-meter sprint (4.55±0.14 s [95% confidence interval (CI) 4.48-4.61] vs. 4.67±0.18 s [4.59-4.75], g = -0.72 [-1.34 to -0.10], P=0.021) and had higher MAS (4.28±0.20 m/s [4.18-4.38] vs. 4.04±0.29 m/s [3.91-4.16], g = 0.94 [0.31 to 1.57], P=0.003). For correlation and regression analyses, data was pooled across groups. Weak-to-moderate correlations (r=-0.327 to -0.577, P<0.05) were found between body composition variables and physical performance. Linear regression analysis indicated that body composition variables explained 8-33% of the variance in performance outcomes.

Despite no differences in body composition between groups, national-team players were faster and had higher MAS, and body composition showed weak-to-moderate associations with performance. Elite preparation should therefore target the concurrent development of physical performance and body composition, progressed together within multidisciplinary, high-standard practice.