Correlation between Hoff test performance, body composition and aerobic and anaerobic fitness in professional soccer players

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to investigate a possible association between the distance covered in the Hoff test with parameters of maximal oxygen uptake ($\dot{V}{\text{O}}_{{ 2 {\text{MAX}}}}$), anaerobic threshold, anaerobic fitness, and body composition of professional adult soccer players.

Methods

Twenty-five professional soccer players (20 ± 3 years) participated in the study. On different days the athletes performed: a graded incremental exercise test in a laboratory to measure $\dot{V}{\text{O}}_{{ 2 {\text{MAX}}}}$; a specific soccer field test called the Hoff test; a running anaerobic sprint test (RAST); an incremental test on an oval circuit to determine the velocity relative to anaerobic threshold (V _AnT) and an estimation of body composition.

Results

The average $\dot{V}{\text{O}}_{{ 2 {\text{MAX}}}}$ corresponded to 4.1 ± 0.1 L min⁻¹ (54.1 ± 1.2 mL kg⁻¹ min⁻¹). The average distance covered during the Hoff test was 1,442.4 ± 30.0 m. The distance covered during the Hoff test showed significant correlations with absolute and expressed in an appropriated scale $\dot{V}{\text{O}}_{{ 2 {\text{MAX}}}}$ (r = 0.44, p = 0.02; r = 0.42, p = 0.02, respectively) while no significant differences were found with body composition, V _AnT and RAST variables.

Conclusions

The present study demonstrated that the distance covered during the Hoff test has weak correlation with $\dot{V}{\text{O}}_{{ 2 {\text{MAX}}}}$ determined in treadmill running, and no correlation with V _AnT, body composition and RAST outcomes, probably due to the non-specificity of the proposed tests when associated with the Hoff test.