Effect of biological maturation on maximal oxygen uptake and ventilatory thresholds in soccer players: An allometric approach

In this study, we investigated the effect of biological maturation on maximal oxygen uptake ((V) over dotO(2max)) and ventilatory thresholds (VT1 and VT2) in 110 young soccer players separated into pubescent and post-pubescent groups.. Maximal oxygen uptake and (V) over dotO(2) corresponding to VT1 and VT2 were expressed as absolute values, ratio standards, theoretical exponents, and experimentally observed exponents. Absolute (V) over dotO(2) (ml . min(-1)) was different between groups for VT1, VT2, and (V) over dotO(2max). Ratio standards (ml . kg(-1) . min(-1)) were not significantly different between groups for VT1, VT2, and (V) over dotO(2max). Theoretical exponents (ml . kg(-0.67) . min(-1) and ml . kg(-0.75) . min(-1)) were not properly adjusted for the body mass effects on VT1, VT2, and (V) over dotO(2max). When the data were correctly adjusted using experimentally observed exponents, VT1 (ml . kg(-0.94) . min(-1)) and VT2 (ml . kg(-0.95) . min(-1)) were not different between groups. The experimentally observed exponent for (V) over dotO(2max) (ml . kg(-0.90) . min(-1)) was different between groups (P = 0.048); however, this difference could not be attributed to biological maturation. In conclusion, biological maturation had no effect on VT1, VT2 or (V) over dotO(2max) when the effect of body mass was adjusted by experimentally observed exponents. Thus, when evaluating the physiological performance of young soccer players, allometric scaling needs to be taken into account instead of using theoretical approaches.