Assessment of Beep Test Performance and Cardiorespiratory Endurance in Young Footballers: A Cross-sectional Study in the UAE

Aim: The study aims to examine the Beep test performance and the cardiorespiratory endurance among young footballers in the United Arab Emirates while also analyzing the correlations of lower limb muscle strength (quadriceps, hamstrings, and calf muscle) with the Beep test performance. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 78 participants were selected according to the inclusion criteria, and demographic data was collected. Preparatory tests such as heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), and lower limb strength measurements were recorded. Parameters such as peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), and forced vital capacity (FVC) were measured using MIR SPIRODOC. The data was collected in two stages, before and after conducting the Beep test. Results: The mean age and body mass index (BMI) of the participants were 13.71 years and 19.18 kg/m2. The variables like heart rate, systolic blood pressure, FEV1, FVC, and PEFR for pre- and post-Beep test performance showed statistical significance (p<0.05). The correlation coefficients for quadriceps, hamstrings, and calf muscle strength with Beep test performance were found to be r=0.87, r=0.79, and r=0.31, respectively, indicating a strong correlation for quadriceps and hamstrings and a weak correlation for calf muscles. Conclusion: The study found a direct correlation of quadriceps and hamstrings with Beep test performance, and the pre-and post-Beep test values of various cardiorespiratory parameters such as HR, systolic blood pressure (SBP), FEV1, FVC, and PEFR showed significance, highlighting the physiological demands of the test.