Maria Isabel Caldas Januário Fragoso

Aim The aim of the present study was to compare the Preece–Baines 1 (PB1) model fit between longitudinal and cross‐sectional data in male soccer players and to adjust the height growth curve by maturity status. Methods A final sample of 57 male Portuguese soccer players from professional soccer academies was included. Longitudinal height records were measured between 8 and 17 times in each subject from 2–8 years to 14–17 years. Additionally, longitudinal height records were used as cross‐sectional data along with 1087 cross‐sectional height records taken from 602 Portuguese soccer players. Skeletal age was estimated by Tanner‐Whitehouse III method from a left hand–wrist radiograph. Age at peak height velocity (PHV) was estimated by PB1 model for longitudinal and cross‐sectional data and by maturity status. Results No significant differences were found between all the longitudinal estimates of 57 players and the random cross‐sectional samples for, S 1 parameter and for growth velocity at PHV, at TO, and for age at PHV. The age at PHV in early, on‐time, and late maturers were 12.26, 12.9, and 13.58 years, respectively. Conclusion PB1 adjusted the height growth of Portuguese male soccer players from cross‐sectional data, obtaining an estimate PHV very similar to that found from longitudinal data. A maturity time difference of ≈0.6 years was found between the age at PHV of on‐time, early, and on‐time and late maturity state.