Positional Differences in VO2max Among Youth Football Players in a School-Based Sports Program

Alfurqan Arrahman Usman 1 Indonesia , Muh. Adnan Hudain 1 Indonesia , Sudirman Sudirman 1 Indonesia
1 Department of Physical Education and Sport, Universitas Negeri Makassar, Indonesia
Link Copied!
Published 2026-09-04
Vol. 6 No. 1 (2026) PAGES 194-203
DOI 10.51574/ijrer.v6i1.4886
Views / Downloads 54 84

Position-specific physiological profiling is crucial for optimizing youth athletic development, yet data regarding school-based extracurricular sports programs remains limited. This study aimed to investigate positional differences in aerobic capacity (VO2max) between defensive and attacking youth footballers within a school-based sports framework. A comparative cross-sectional design was conducted with 23 male high school football players (n=11 defenders, n=12 attackers; age: 16–18 years) selected via purposive sampling from a public senior high school in Makassar, Indonesia. Aerobic capacity was estimated using the Multistage Fitness Test (MFT) to calculate VO2max (mL⋅kg ^(-1)⋅min^(-1)). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Independent Samples t-test (α=0.05), and Cohen's d to measure effect size. The overall cohort demonstrated a "Very Good" aerobic fitness profile ("mean VO2max=56.15±[SD] mL⋅kg^(-1)⋅min^(-1)). Although attacking players exhibited a slightly higher mean value (56.87 mL⋅kg^(-1)⋅min^(-1)) compared to defensive players (55.37 mL⋅kg^(-1)⋅min^(-1)), this difference was not statistically significant (t=-1.76, p=0.093). No significant positional divergence in VO2max was observed, indicating that current school-based physical conditioning produces a baseline aerobic standard across playing roles. These findings align with the dynamic, position-fluid physical demands of modern tactical play and suggest that early-stage school programs should prioritize general aerobic foundations over premature position-specific conditioning.

Usman, A. A., Hudain, M. A., & Sudirman, S. (2026). Positional Differences in VO2max Among Youth Football Players in a School-Based Sports Program. ETDC: Indonesian Journal of Research and Educational Review , 6(1), 194–203. https://doi.org/10.51574/ijrer.v6i1.4886
More Citation Formats
Download Citation

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.
  1. Abdulsatar, A. A. (2025). Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and its relationship with maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) among 16-year-old junior players at Zakho football club. Tanjungpura Journal of Coaching Research, 3(1), 1-13. http://ejurnal.untan.ac.id/index.php/TAJOR/article/view/87358
  2. Bujalance-Moreno, P., Latorre-Román, P. Á., & García-Pinillos, F. (2019). A systematic review on small-sided games in football players: Acute and chronic adaptations. Journal of sports sciences, 37(8), 921-949. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2018.1535821
  3. Clemente, F. M., Afonso, J., & Sarmento, H. (2021). Small-sided games: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. PloS one, 16(2), e0247067. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0247067
  4. Demetriou, Y., Reimers, A. K., Alesi, M., Scifo, L., Borrego, C. C., Monteiro, D., & Kelso, A. (2019). Effects of school-based interventions on motivation towards physical activity in children and adolescents: protocol for a systematic review. Systematic reviews, 8(1), 113. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-019-1029-1
  5. González-Rodenas, J., Moreno-Pérez, V., López-Del Campo, R., Resta, R., & Del Coso, J. (2023). Evolution of tactics in professional soccer: An analysis of team formations from 2012 to 2021 in the Spanish LaLiga. Journal of human kinetics, 88, 207. https://doi.org/10.5114/jhk/167468
  6. Halouani, J., Chtourou, H., Gabbett, T., Chaouachi, A., & Chamari, K. (2014). Small-sided games in team sports training: a brief review. The journal of strength & conditioning research, 28(12), 3594-3618.
  7. Hands, D. E., Janse de Jonge, X. A., Livingston Jr, G. C., & Borges, N. (2025). High-intensity action profiles between phases of play for an Australian A-League association football team. International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, 25(4), 740-752. https://doi.org/10.1080/24748668.2024.2444792
  8. Harper, D., Sandford, G. N., Clubb, J., Young, M., Taberner, M., Rhodes, D., ... & Kiely, J. (2021). Elite football of 2030 will not be the same as that of 2020: What has evolved and what needs to evolve?. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 31(2), 493-494. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.13876
  9. Jemni, M., Prince, M. S., & Baker, J. S. (2018). RETRACTED ARTICLE: Assessing Cardiorespiratory Fitness of Soccer Players: Is Test Specificity the Issue?–A Review. Sports medicine-open, 4(1), 28. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-018-0134-3
  10. Ju, W., Doran, D., Hawkins, R., Evans, M., Laws, A., & Bradley, P. S. (2023). Contextualised high-intensity running profiles of elite football players with reference to general and specialised tactical roles. Biology of Sport, 40(1), 291. https://doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2023.116003
  11. Kryściak, J., Maly, T., Tomczak, M., Modric, T., Malone, J., Zahálka, F., ... & Andrzejewski, M. (2025). Relationship between aerobic performance and match running performance in elite soccer players including playing position and contextual factors. Biology of sport, 43(1), 213-225. https://doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2026.153311
  12. Li, T., Xu, Q., Wang, S., Qi, K., Su, P., Silva, R. M., ... & Clemente, F. M. (2023). Effects of recreational small-sided games from different team sports on the improvement of aerobic fitness in youth sedentary populations: A systematic review. Heliyon, 9(11). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22041
  13. Low, B., Coutinho, D., Gonçalves, B., Rein, R., Memmert, D., & Sampaio, J. (2020). A Systematic Review of Collective Tactical Behaviours in Football Using Positional Data: B. Low et al. Sports medicine, 50(2), 343-385. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-019-01194-7
  14. Low, B., Rein, R., Raabe, D., Schwab, S., & Memmert, D. (2021). The porous high-press? An experimental approach investigating tactical behaviours from two pressing strategies in football. Journal of sports sciences, 39(19), 2199-2210. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2021.1925424
  15. Makaruk, H., Webster, E. K., Porter, J., Makaruk, B., Bodasińska, A., Zieliński, J., ... & Sadowski, J. (2025). Assessing fundamental motor skills proficiency in school-based sports physical education programs: implications for talent development. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 7, 1632930. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2025.1632930
  16. Michailidis, Y. (2024). Correlations of aerobic capacity with external and internal load of young football players during small-sided games. Sensors, 24(7), 2258. https://doi.org/10.3390/s24072258
  17. Modric, T., Versic, S., & Sekulic, D. (2021). Does aerobic performance define match running performance among professional soccer players? A position-specific analysis. Research in Sports Medicine, 29(4), 336-348. https://doi.org/10.1080/15438627.2021.1888107
  18. Moran, J., Blagrove, R. C., Drury, B., Fernandes, J. F., Paxton, K., Chaabene, H., & Ramirez-Campillo, R. (2019). Effects of Small-Sided Games vs. Conventional Endurance Training on Endurance Performance in Male Youth Soccer Players: A Meta-Analytical Comparison: J. Moran et al. Sports Medicine, 49(5), 731-742. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-019-01086-w
  19. Morton, K. L., Atkin, A. J., Corder, K., Suhrcke, M., & van Sluijs, E. M. (2016). The school environment and adolescent physical activity and sedentary behaviour: a mixed‐studies systematic review. Obesity reviews, 17(2), 142-158. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.12352
  20. Panduro, J., Ermidis, G., Røddik, L., Vigh‐Larsen, J. F., Madsen, E. E., Larsen, M. N., ... & Randers, M. B. (2022). Physical performance and loading for six playing positions in elite female football: full‐game, end‐game, and peak periods. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports, 32, 115-126. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.13877
  21. Rico-Gonzalez, M. (2023). The effect of primary school-based physical education programs: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 20(4), 317-347. https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.2022-0452
  22. Rocliffe, P., O’Keeffe, B., Walsh, L., Stylianou, M., Woodforde, J., Garcia-Gonzalez, L., ... & MacDonncha, C. (2023). The impact of typical school provision of physical education, physical activity and sports on adolescent physical activity behaviors: A systematic literature review. Adolescent Research Review, 8(3), 359-385. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40894-022-00200-w
  23. Rocliffe, P., Tapia-Serrano, M. A., Garcia-Gonzalez, L., Adamakis, M., Walsh, L., Bannon, A., ... & MacDonncha, C. (2024). The impact of typical school provision of physical education, physical activity and sports on adolescent physical health: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis. Adolescent Research Review, 9(4), 663-709. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40894-023-00231-x
  24. Ruiz-Rios, M., Setuain, I., Cadore, E. L., Izquierdo, M., & Garcia-Tabar, I. (2024). Physical conditioning and functional Injury-Screening profile of elite female soccer players: A systematic review. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 19(12), 1355-1366. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2023-0463
  25. Sotudeh, H. (2025). The principles of tactical formation identification in association football (soccer)—a survey. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 6, 1512386. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2024.1512386
  26. Stojmenović, D., & Stojmenović, T. (2023). Physiological parameters of professional football players in teams of various levels. Pedagogy of Physical Culture and Sports, 27(5), 361-367. https://doi.org/10.15561/26649837.2023.0502
  27. Sun, Z., Liu, X., Fu, H., Shen, S., & Zhou, X. (2025). Comparisons of the anthropometric and physical characteristics of young elite Chinese male soccer players by age and playing position. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, 17(1), 22. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-025-01070-0
  28. Suryansyah, S., Badaru, B., Bustang, B., Hasyim, H., & Hudain, M. A. (2025). Team Games Tournament Model in Elementary School Students: Learning Outcomes of Passing in Football Games. ETDC: Indonesian Journal of Research and Educational Review, 4(4), 1028-1038. https://doi.org/10.51574/ijrer.v4i4.3501
  29. Towlson, C., Cobley, S., Midgley, A. W., Garrett, A., Parkin, G., & Lovell, R. (2017). Relative age, maturation and physical biases on position allocation in elite-youth soccer. International journal of sports medicine, 38(03), 201-209. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0042-119029
  30. Wahyuddin, W., Saleh, M. S., Juhanis, J., & Hudain, M. A. (2024). The Influence of Dynamic Passing and Concentration on Increasing the Football Passing Ability of Students. ETDC: Indonesian Journal of Research and Educational Review, 3(3), 21-27. https://doi.org/10.51574/ijrer.v3i3.1520
  31. Wang, H., Pang, J., Yang, X., Jia, Y., Huang, X., Yu, L., & Hou, X. (2025). School-based environment and physical activity in adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Preventive Medicine, 191, 108221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2025.108221
  32. Weakley, J., Black, G., McLaren, S., Scantlebury, S., Suchomel, T. J., McMahon, E., ... & Read, D. B. (2024). Testing and profiling athletes: recommendations for test selection, implementation, and maximizing information. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 46(2), 159-179. https://doi.org/10.1519/SSC.0000000000000784

Copyright (c) 2026 Alfurqan Arrahman Usman, Muh. Adnan Hudain, Sudirman Sudirman

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Most read articles by the same author(s)

<< < 1 2 3 4 

Similar Articles

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.

Dimension Badge

Downloads

Downloads
Crossmark Badge
Crossmark Badge
Section
Articles
Keywords
Aerobic Capacity Positional Demands School Sports Programs VO2max Youth Footballers