Abstract

Maximum oxygen consumption (VO2peak) is used in studies with adolescents to relate physical fitness to health status, and in the area of sports training to prescribe and evaluate training programs. The objective of the present study was to verify the VO2peak in adolescent soccer players, observing the type of training and body size. The sample consisted of 116 male adolescents, aged between 12 and 15 years old, divided into three groups, the Control Group (CG; n=45), the Educational Sports Group (ESG; n=45) and the Soccer Athletes Group ( SAG; n=26). Height and body mass were assessed. The Yo-Yo Intermittent Endurance Test was used to assess VO2peak. ANOVA (one way) was used to determine intergroup differences. VO2peak was allometrically adjusted by the exponent of-0.67. Initially, a better aerobic performance was observed in the ESG group compared to the GED. After allometric adjustment, the results pointed to a better performance of the SAG in relation to the GED and the ESG. We conclude that in order to evaluate VO2peak in adolescents it is necessary to take into account not only the type of training used (volume and intensity), but also their body size.