Comparative analysis of fitness attributes in female university athletes across team-based ball sports

Introduction. This study aimed to compare the fitness attributes among trained female university participants who regularly practised and engaged in four different team-based ball sports, including football, basketball, volleyball, and cricket, and an active control group. Materials and methods. This observational cross-sectional study included 150 female players who participated in inter-university championships, aged 19 to 25 years. Thirty trained female university players were selected for each of the four team-based ball sports categories—football, basketball, volleyball, and cricket—to fulfil the study requirement. Additionally, thirty healthy female participants were selected to serve as the active control group. The active control group did not participate in any organized sports but could take part in recreational activities to maintain activity and health. Fitness attributes (FA) were measured using the linear sprint test (LST), curved sprint test (CST), and arrowhead agility test (AHAT). Data analysis used mean, standard deviation, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Games-Howell (for unequal variances) post hoc test, and Tukey post hoc test (for equal variances). Results. ANOVA revealed significant differences among groups' fitness attributes (p < 0.001). The active control group exhibited significantly lower performance in agility and sprint tests compared to trained athletes (p < 0.001), highlighting the impact of structured training. Tukey post hoc tests confirmed these differences in pairwise comparisons. Post hoc analyses (Games-Howell and Tukey tests) confirmed these differences through pairwise comparisons. Conclusions. Findings suggest that football players exhibit superior sprinting and agility performance compared to other team-sport athletes, highlighting the need for sport-specific conditioning programs. These insights can inform training regimens to enhance speed and agility in female university athletes.