Sex differences in pre-season anthropometric, balance, and range of motion characteristics in elite youth soccer players

In soccer, injury epidemiology differs between males and females. It is clinically useful to know whether there are between-sex differences in selected characteristics relevant to primary injury risk and injury prevention practices. The purpose of this study was to explore between-sex differences in anthropometric, balance, and range-of-motion characteristics in Spanish elite male and female youth soccer players. This was a pre-season cross-sectional study. Sixty-nine males (age 16.8 ± 0.9 yr; height 175.9 ± 6.8 cm; mass 67.9 ± 6.3 kg) and thirty-seven females (age 17.2 ± 1.7 yr; height 164.0 ± 6.3 cm; mass 59.0 ± 5.8 kg) participated. Anthropometrics (standing/sitting height, bodymass, right/left leg length) and right/left anterior reach test (ART), hip internal/external active range of motion, active knee extension (AKE), and weightbearing lunge test (WBLT) were measured. Between-sex differences were assessed with Bonferroni-corrected Mann–Whitney U tests and Cliff’s delta (d). Between-sex significant differences (p < 0.003, d ≥ 0.50) were observed for anthropometric data and for hip internal rotation. No between-sex significant differences were observed for ART/AKE/WBLT measures. Between-sex significant differences with large effect sizes were identified for anthropometric data and right/left hip internal rotation. The present study adds new data to the literature for young Spanish male and female soccer players. The present findings will help inform clinical reasoning processes and future injury prevention research for elite male and female youth soccer players.