Full Squats Enhance Performance and Body Composition, but Not Hypertrophy, Compared to Half Squats in Elite Young Tennis Players

<b>Background</b>: The aim was to compare the effects of full squat (FST) versus half squat training (HST) on body composition, muscle hypertrophy, and mean propulsive velocity (MPV) in young athletes. <b>Methods</b>: Twenty-eight highly trained male tennis players (13.88 ± 0.91 years, 166.08 ± 11.30 cm, 57.40 ± 8.99 kg, 14.34 ± 2.75% body fat) were randomly allocated to an eight-week FST or HST program. Training volume load was matched between interventions, and the only difference was the range of motion (squat depth). Pre- and post-training tests evaluated body composition (body mass and body fat percent), muscle hypertrophy (muscle volume of the thigh, calf, and leg, and cross-sectional area at half and maximum circumference of the thigh), and MPV at 45 and 50% of one-repetition maximum (1RM). An analysis of variance was used to analyze differences. <b>Results</b>: The results exhibited significant group-by-time interactions for body mass (<i>p</i> = 0.002, ηp² = 0.32), body fat (<i>p</i> < 0.001, ηp² = 0.71), and MPV (all <i>p</i> ≤ 0.005, ηp² ≥ 0.27). Post hoc comparisons showed that both groups presented significant improvements in body composition, muscle hypertrophy, and MPV (all <i>p</i> ≤ 0.004). However, FST outperformed HST in body fat (<i>p</i> = 0.032) and MPV at both %1RM (<i>p</i> < 0.001). <b>Conclusions</b>: Overall, FST would be preferred over HST for tennis training in youth athletes. Four to five sets of 8-12 repetitions at 60-70% 1RM, two days a week during preseason, appear to be sufficient to induce neuromuscular performance improvement and enhance body composition.