Differences in Anthropometric Characteristics among Junior Soccer and Volleyball Players

Introduction Athletes, competing in diff erent sports, diff er in their physical and physiological characteristics (Stojanovic et al., 2016; Morteza Tayebi, Mahmoudi, Shirazi, & Sangi, 2017; Spaic, Vukasevic, & Masanovic, 2018). Elite sports require that the body performs at the optimal biomechanical and physiological capacity (Bajramovic, Talovic, Alic, & Jeleskovic, 2008; Arifi , Bjelica, & Masanovic, 2019; Saavedra et al., 2018). Accordingly, from junior athlete competing in the strongest leagues in his age group is expected to have the optimal morphology, strength, and endurance for the functional requirements of the sport in question (Mašanović, Vukotić, Popović, & Bjelica, 2018). Morphological characteristics are present in the equation of the specifi cation of almost every sport (Bjelica, Popovic, & Gardasevic, 2016a) so they are of great importance when it comes to orientation and selection in all sports. Since the primarily, due to the development of technique and tactics, coeffi cients of participation of some morphological dimensions in the equation of the specifi cation are constantly changing, for the eff ective talent’s identifi cation and the effi cient conduction of transformational procesess, the continuous involvement of sports science and practice is required (Popovic, Smaic, Joksimovic, & Masanovic, 2010; Bjelica & Fratric, 2011; Bjelica, 2013; Bjelica, Popovic, & Gardasevic, 2016a). According to previous studies, successful participation in both soccer and volleyball games, requires a high level of technical and tactical skills, and also requires suitable anthropometrical characteristics and body composition from each athlete (Hurst et al., 2017; Masanovic, Popovic, & Bjelica, 2018). Of course, the demands of these two sports are very diff erent Abstract


Introduction
Athletes, competing in diff erent sports, diff er in their physical and physiological characteristics (Stojanovic et al., 2016;Morteza Tayebi, Mahmoudi, Shirazi, & Sangi, 2017;Spaic, Vukasevic, & Masanovic, 2018).Elite sports require that the body performs at the optimal biomechanical and physiological capacity (Bajramovic, Talovic, Alic, & Jeleskovic, 2008;Arifi , Bjelica, & Masanovic, 2019;Saavedra et al., 2018).Accordingly, from junior athlete competing in the strongest leagues in his age group is expected to have the optimal morphology, strength, and endurance for the functional requirements of the sport in question (Mašanović, Vukotić, Popović, & Bjelica, 2018).Morphological characteristics are present in the equation of the specifi cation of almost every sport (Bjelica, Popovic, & Gardasevic, 2016a) so they are of great importance when it comes to orientation and selection in all sports.Since the primarily, due to the development of technique and tactics, coeffi cients of participation of some morphological dimensions in the equation of the specifi cation are constantly changing, for the eff ective talent's identifi cation and the effi cient conduction of transformational procesess, the continuous involvement of sports science and practice is required (Popovic, Smaic, Joksimovic, & Masanovic, 2010;Bjelica & Fratric, 2011 Legend: N -number of Subjects, AM -arithmetic mean, SD -standard deviation (Popovic, Akpinar, Jaksic, Matic, & Bjelica, 2013;Popovic, Bjelica, Jaksic, & Hadzic, 2014).Soccer is a team sport which is played on an open fi eld of great dimensions, and therefore requires a high standard of physical preparation, it is also based on a large number of movements, and a series of moderate activities that periodically replace high intensity activities, leading to significant metabolic heat production, and an intensity of 75-90% of the maximum heart rate, or 70-80% of the maximum oxygen consumption (Rexhepi & Brestovci, 2010;Saether, 2017;Amani, Sadeghi, & Afsharnezhad, 2018).O n the other hand, in volleyball, the patterns of movement diff er greatly compared to soccer, the basic elements of the game are spiking, jumping, power hitting and blocking.In vooleyball the dominance over the net becomes the most decisive factor for victory (Laporta, Nikolaidis, Th omas, & Afonso, 2015; Masanovic, Milosevic, & Corluka, 2018).Th e top-level volleyball players do not have VO2 max values on the high level as endurance trained elite players in soccer.Th e aim of this research is to describe the morphological profi le of young soccer and volleyball players, to determine if here is a diff erence in anthropometric dimensions between them, and to defi ne its scale.

Methods
Th e sample included 39 male subjects divided into two subsamples.Th e fi rst subsample included 25 s occer players (16.64±0.49yrs.), who trained in the junior selection in the Soccer club "Vojvodina" from Novi Sad, which competed in Serbian Junior League, while the other subsample included 15 volleyball players (17.36±0.74yrs.), who trained in the junior selection in the Volleyball club "Vojvodina" from Novi Sad, which competed also in Serbian Junior League.Criteria for selection of subjects for the sample were as follows: that they have been members of the fi rst team squad for at least one year, and that they are in good health.
Anthropometric research technique was used for data collection.A total of 20 anthropometric measures were evalua-ted, that defi ned the longitudinal and transversal dimensionality of skeleton, body volume and body mass, and subcutaneous adipose tissue: body height, body weight, elbow diameter, wrist diameter, knee diameter, ankle joint diameter, minimum circumference of the upper arm, maximum circumference of the upper arm, minimum circumference of the forearm, maximum circumference of the forearm, minimum circumference of the upper leg, maximum circumference of the upper leg, minimum circumference of the lower leg, maximum circumference of the lower leg, skinfold thickness of the upper arm, skinfold thickness of the forearm, skinfold thickness of the thigh, skinfold thickness of the calf, skinfold thickness of the chest and skinfold thickness of the abdomen.
Anthropometric research was conducted according to IBP standards, while respecting the basic rules and principles related to the selection of parameters, standard conditions and measuring techniques, as well as the standard measuring instruments calibrated before measuring.
Th e measuring was carried out in the middle of the competitive season.Th e data obtained in the research were analyzed with the statistical program SPSS 20.0, adapted for use on personal computers.Th e arithmetic mean, standard deviation and standard errors of the arithmetic mean of the anthropometric characteristics were calculated for respondents who are professional soccer players and professional volleyball players, by testing the diff erences of arithmetic means of independent samples at a signifi cance level of p<0.05.Th is analysis gave answer to the question whether there is a diff erence, and the scope of it, between the anthropometric characteristics of the soccer and volleyball players, regulars who compete in union divisions.

Results
Th is section presents the results of central tendency and dispersion parameters, as well as the results of t-test for independent samples, classifi ed into tables.
Observing the results of the central tendency and dispersion parameters of longithudinal and transversal skeletal dimensionality, body volume and body mass of the soccer and volleyball players, we immediately notice that volleyball players have higher value in 18 variables, while in terms of footballers, we notice higher values in only 2 parameters (Table 1).
On the basis of the results presented it was determined that the subsamples are signifi cantly diff erent in 8 out of 20 anthropometric characteristics (level of signifi cance p<0.05).It was concluded, based on these results, that signifi cant di-ff erences occur in body height, body weight, elbow diameter, wrist diameter, ankle joint diameter, lower arm circumference (max), lower leg circumference (max) and abdomen skinfold, while the signifi cant diff erence does not occur in knee diameter, upper arm circumference (min), upper arm circumference (max), lower arm circumference (min), upper leg circumference (min), upper leg circumference (max), lower leg circumference (min), upper arm skinfolf, lower arm skinfold, thigh skinfold, calf skinfold and chest skinfold.For each of the parameters in which a signifi cant diff erence has been found, higher values can be seen in volleyball players (Table 2).

Discussion
Th e results of this study show that there are signifi cant diff erences in certain anthropometric characteristics between soccer players and volleyball players who compete in the elite Serbian Junior Leagues.Volleyball players are signifi cantly higher than soccer players, which is in line with previous research (Popović et al., 2014;Masanovic, T. Bavcevic, & I. Bavcevic, 2019).If we consider that offi cial statistical data proved that the average body height of all the participants in the FIFA U-17 World Soccer Championship India 2017 was 176.01 centimeters, while the average height of the of all participants in CEV U17 Volleyball European Championship 2017 in Turkey was 189 centimeters, we can conclude that the players from Serbian soccer and volleyball Junior Premier League with average body height 177.8 and 194.28 centimeters are tall enough and they do not lag behind the World top players.Also, the selection process is quality conducted, which is not a surprise, because it is well known that the number of very tall subjects appears to be high in Dinaric Alpes area (Bjelica, Popovic, Kezunovic, Petkovic, Jurak, & Grasgruber, 2012;Popović, Milašinović, Matić, Gardašević, & Bjelica, 2016;Popovic, Gardasevic, Masanovic, Arifi , & Bjelica, 2017;Masanovic, 2017;Popovic, 2017).Th e signifi cant body mass diff erence is not a surprise, as the previous literature indicates a signifi cantly higher body weight of the volleyball players (Ferreira Oliveira, Teixeira Vaz, Pastore, & João, 2018;Vukotic & Georgiev, 2019), which is also the logical consequence of a large diff erence in body height.
Results related to measures of the skeleton transversal showed signifi cantly higher values for volleyball players for 3 out of 4 variables (elbow diameter, wrist diameter, and ankle joint diameter).Knee diameter showed signifi cantly higher values for soccer players, which is no surprise, because the biggest adaptation in football shows just this joint (Isık, Unlu, Gozubuyuk, Aslanyurek, & Bereceli, 2018).When body volume and subcutaneous adipose tissue are concerned, signifi cantly higher values were shown for volleyball players for 7 out of 8 variables and for 5 out of 6 variables.Th ese results are in line with previous research (Bandyopadhyay, 2007;Sprague, Mokha, & Gatens, 2014) which is also logical because in research, soccer is recognized as an aerobic sport in which activity lasts longer and running distance is greater (Popovic et al., 2013;Popovic, Masanovic, Molnar, & Smajic, 2009;Gardasevic, Bjelica, & Popovic, 2015), which justifi es DIFFERENCES AMONG JUNIOR SOCCER AND VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS | B. MASANOVIC ET AL. somewhat higher value of the thickness of the skin folds.Ultimately, considering the higher values of body height and body mass, values of circumference, are expected primarily as a logical consequence.
Th e goal of this research was to determine whether there is a diff erence, and what is the scope of it, in anthropometric characteristics between the junior soccer and volleyball players.Also, to characterize, as acurately as possible, the morphological characteristics of subjects.Considering the movement patterns in volleyball, slightly greater body height and body mass are expected primarily for the reason that volleyball is a sport in which body height gives advantage in defence and attack, because taller players have the ability to easily spike the ball over the tall opponent's in defensive block, and vice versa, to set a tall defensive block on the other side of the netthrough, by which opposing attackers have less chance to win points (Smajic et al., 2015;Oliveira, Valladares, Vaz, & João, 2016).Movement patterns in soccer and volleyball are the reason for higher diameters of the ankle joints in volleyball players, and higher values of knee diameter in soccer player (Calbet, Díaz Herrera, & Rodríguez, 1999;Fredericson et al., 2007;Zouch et al., 2008;Stanganelli, Dourado, Oncken, Mançan, & da Costa, 2008).Circumferences are expected as a logical consequence of the diff erence in the absolute size of the body.Also, movement patterns in soccer are the reason for lower subcutaneous adipose tissue values for soccer players because in research, soccer is recognized as an aerobic sport in which activity lasts longer and running distance is greater (Popovic et al., 2013;Pasa, Vukasevic, & Masanovic, 2019).
Of great interest for some authors are morphological characteristics of topclass soccer and volleyball players (Marques, & Marinho, 2009;Gjonbalaj, Georgiev, & Bjelica, 2018;Krespi, Sporis, & Popovic, 2019), because the particular morphology profi le of an athlete, combined with motor and functional abilities, should express its full potential (Gusic et al. 2017).Th e results of this study may serve as model parameters for estimating the same variables for other players of the same sport and competition rank, or for comparison with the results of similar research.It should be noted that players who want to compete successfully must have the characteristics established by the standards of that sport, which of course also refers to the morphological quality that players have to possess.