ESTABLISHING PERFORMANCE NORMS FOR DIVISION I FOOTBALL PLAYERS

PURPOSE:To establish normative performance data for common physical performance tests in Division I football players. METHODS: 73 Division I football players 19.7 years (+/- 0.83), completed a battery of common in return to sport physical performance tests (PPTs): Isometric knee extension, isokinetic knee extension at 60 degrees/second, single leg hop, 6 meter timed hop, triple hop, triple cross over hop, max controlled leap, single leg vertical jump, and 6 rep max leg press test. Mean performance across limbs was calculated for each individual. Chronological age, height, weight, and football position were recorded. Multi-variable linear regressions were created for the effects of demographics on each physical performance test, and quantile regressions were created to establish normative values. RESULTS: Weight was identified as an independent predictor of performance in 7 of 11 PPTs (p < .05), including all functional hop tests and knee isometric and isokinetic tests. Non-modifiable factors, including age, height, and position, were inconsistent predictors of performance, with the athlete’s position predicting performance on force and power of the the 6 rep max leg press (p = <.05). Quantile regressions curves were successfully created for 7 of the physical performance tests. CONCLUSIONS: Athlete’s weight can accurately predict performance on common PPTs in Division I football players. The quantile regression presented could assist clinicians with benchmarking patients postoperatively against a healthy athletic cohort.