Development of a Model to Predict the Jumping Performance in Elite Male Volleyball Players: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Vertical Jump Performance (VJP) has been identified as a significant characteristic in elite volleyball players and is an essential component for successful volleyball practice. Aim: To better understand volleyball players' anthropometric and physical fitness characterstics and to predict jumping performance of the players using these variables. Materials and Methods: For this cross-sectional study, 20 Indian junior male volleyball players were randomly selected from a coaching camp organised at Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education (LNIPE), Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India from May 2018 to July 2018. All the subjects were measured for VJP, selected anthropometrics {Right Thigh Girth (RTTG), Left Thigh Girth ( LTTG), Average Thigh Girth (ATG), Right Calf Girth (RCG) and Left Calf Girth (LCG), Average Calf Girth (ACG)} and physical fitness characteristics {Flexibility (FLEX), Left Calf Strength Endurance (LTCSE), Right Calf Strength Endurance (RTCSE), speed, Core Endurance Abdomen Flexion (CEAF), Core Endurance Back Extension (CEBE), Low Body Explosive Power (LBEP) and Upper Body Explosive Power (UBEP), Cardiorespiratory Fitness (CF), VO2 max, Abdominal Endurance (AE). The Subset regression analysis method was used to fit the appropriate linear regression model, while R-Square and Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) were used to identify a better model for a proper explanation of the vertical jumping performance of volleyball players, and a level of significance was set at the 0.05 level. Results: The volleyball players included had an average age of 18.05 +/- 0.76 years. The results revealed that CEBE (beta=-0.1525, p=0.0199), FLEX (beta=1.0842, p=0.0001), LBEP (beta=8.1636, p=0.0018), right (beta=-0.2417, p=0.0125), and LTCSE (beta=0.5143, p=0.0012), VO2 max (beta=-9.2467, p<0.001), and AE (beta=1.0009, p<0.001) were the variables with the highest predictive power for jumping performance. Conclusion: The current study identifies CEBE, FLEX, LBEP, RTCSE and LTCSE, VO2 max, and AE as critical factors for improving jumping performance, emphasising the importance of considering multiple anthropometric and physical fitness variables when identifying talent and designing a volleyball training programme.