Differences in Body Composition in Football Players by Playing Position
Keywords:
body composition, football, playing position, bioelectrical impedance analysisAbstract
The aim of this study was to examine differences in body composition among football players according to their playing positions. The study employed a cross-sectional comparative design and included a sample of 50 active football players from FC Sileks, aged 17–30 years, who were regularly engaged in training and competitive match play. The sample comprised 50 outfield players classified into three positional groups: defenders (n = 20), midfielders (n = 14), and forwards (n = 16). Body composition was assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis with an InBody 720 body composition analyser. Eight body composition variables were evaluated: skeletal muscle mass (kg), skeletal muscle mass (%), bone mineral content (kg), bone mineral content (%), body fat mass (kg), body fat percentage (%), fat-free mass (kg), and body mass index (BMI). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Games–Howell post hoc comparisons. Prior to inferential analyses, the assumptions of normality (Shapiro–Wilk test) and homogeneity of variances (Levene's test) were verified. Effect sizes were estimated using partial eta squared (η²ₚ). The results revealed statistically significant multivariate differences in body composition among players occupying different playing positions. At the univariate level, significant differences were observed in skeletal muscle mass (kg), bone mineral content (kg), body fat mass (kg), body fat percentage (%), fat-free mass (kg), and body mass index. Defenders demonstrated higher absolute values for these variables than midfielders and forwards, whereas no significant positional differences were observed in the percentage of skeletal muscle mass or bone mineral content. These findings indicate that body composition represents an important component of position-specific profiling in football and may contribute to more effective talent identification, player monitoring, and the individualization of training programmes.
Downloads
References
Bangsbo, J. (1994). The physiology of soccer with special reference to intense intermittent exercise. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica. Supplementum, 619, 1-155.
Bloomfield, J., Polman, R., & O’Donoghue, P. (2007). Physical demands of different positions in FA Premier League soccer. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 6(1), 63-70.
Bongiovanni, T., Rossi, A., Genovesi, F., Martera, G., Puleo, G., Orlandi, C., Spedicato, M., Iaia, F. M., Del Vescovo, R., Gallo, S., Cannataro, R., Ripari, P., Levi Micheli, M., Cataldi, S., & Trecroci, A. (2023). How do football playing positions differ in body composition? A first insight into white Italian Serie A and Serie B players. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, 8(2), Article 80. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk8020080
Campa, F., Bongiovanni, T., Rossi, A., Cerullo, G., Casolo, A., Martera, G., Trecroci, A., Moro, T., & Paoli, A. (2023). Athletic bioimpedance-based equations underestimate fat free mass components in male elite soccer players: Development and validation of new soccer-specific predictive models. Journal of Translational Medicine, 21, Article 912. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-023-04795-z
Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Collins, J., Maughan, R. J., Gleeson, M., Bilsborough, J., Jeukendrup, A., Morton, J. P., … McCall, A. (2021). UEFA expert group statement on nutrition in elite football: Current evidence to inform practical recommendations and guide future research. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 55(8), 416. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2019-10196
Dut, R., Akgül, S., Dönmez, G., Ulkar, B., Kanbur, N., & Derman, O. (2023). Adolescent male soccer players have higher growth rates and risk of injury is associated with biological maturity. The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics, 65(6), 990-1001. https://doi.org/10.24953/turkjped.2023.140
Field, A. (2018). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS Statistics (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Gontarev, S., Kalac, R., Zivkovic, V., Ameti, V., & Redjepi, A. (2016). Anthropometrical characteristics and somatotype of young Macedonian soccer players. International Journal of Morphology, 34(1), 160-167. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0717-95022016000100024
Hencken, C., & White, C. (2006). Anthropometric assessment of Premiership soccer players in relation to playing position. European Journal of Sport Science, 6(4), 205-211. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461390601012553
Leão, C., Camões, M., Clemente, F. M., Nikolaidis, P. T., Lima, R., Bezerra, P., Rosemann, T., & Knechtle, B. (2019). Anthropometric profile of soccer players as a determinant of position specificity and methodological issues of body composition estimation. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(13), Article 2386. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16132386
Leão, C., Silva, A. F., Badicu, G., Clemente, F. M., Carvutto, R., Greco, G., Cataldi, S., & Fischetti, F. (2022). Body composition interactions with physical fitness: A cross-sectional study in youth soccer players. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(6), Article 3598. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063598
Matković, B. R., Misigoj-Duraković, M., Matković, B., Janković, S., Ružić, L., Leko, G., & Kondrič, M. (2003). Morphological differences of elite Croatian soccer players according to the team position. Collegium Antropologicum, 27(Suppl. 1), 167-174.
Nobari, H., Oliveira, R., Clemente, F. M., Pérez-Gómez, J., Pardos-Mainer, E., & Ardigò, L. P. (2021). Somatotype, accumulated workload, and fitness parameters in elite youth players: Associations with playing position. Children, 8(5), Article 375. https://doi.org/10.3390/children8050375
Reilly, T., Bangsbo, J., & Franks, A. (2000). Anthropometric and physiological predispositions for elite soccer. Journal of Sports Sciences, 18(9), 669-683. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640410050120050
Rienzi, E., Drust, B., Reilly, T., Carter, J. E. L., & Martin, A. (2000). Investigation of anthropometric and work-rate profiles of elite South American international soccer players. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 40(2), 162-169.
Sebastiá-Rico, J., Soriano, J. M., González-Gálvez, N., & Martínez-Sanz, J. M. (2023). Body composition of male professional soccer players using different measurement methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients, 15(5), Article 1160. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15051160
Slimani, M., & Nikolaidis, P. T. (2019). Anthropometric and physiological characteristics of male soccer players according to their competitive level, playing position and age group: A systematic review. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 59(1), 141-163. https://doi.org/10.23736/S0022-4707.17.07950-6
Soós, I., Borysławski, K., Boraczyński, M., Ihasz, F., & Podstawski, R. (2022). Anthropometric and physiological profiles of Hungarian youth male soccer players of varying ages and playing positions: A multidimensional assessment with a critical approach. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(17), Article 11041. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191711041
Sporis, G., Jukic, I., Ostojic, S. M., & Milanovic, D. (2009). Fitness profiling in soccer: Physical and physiologic characteristics of elite players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 23(7), 1947-1953. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181b3e141
Stølen, T., Chamari, K., Castagna, C., & Wisløff, U. (2005). Physiology of soccer: An update. Sports Medicine, 35(6), 501-536. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200535060-00004
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), Article 22. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-025-01070-0
Sutton, L., Scott, M., Wallace, J., & Reilly, T. (2009). Body composition of English Premier League soccer players: Influence of playing position, international status, and ethnicity. Journal of Sports Sciences, 27(10), 1019-1026. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640410903030305
Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2019). Using multivariate statistics (7th ed.). Pearson.
Torres-Luque, G., Calahorro-Cañada, F., Lara-Sánchez, A. J., Garatachea, N., Nikolaidis, P. T., & Hassan, B. (2015). Body composition using bioelectrical impedance analysis in elite young soccer players: The effects of age and playing position. Sport Sciences for Health, 11(2), 203-210. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-015-0226-0
Wisløff, U., Castagna, C., Helgerud, J., Jones, R., & Hoff, J. (2004). Strong correlation of maximal squat strength with sprint performance and vertical jump height in elite soccer players. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 38(3), 28
Downloads
Published
Versions
- 30.06.2026 (2)
- 30.06.2026 (1)
Share this Article
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Research in Physical Education, Sport and Health
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
