Background: The assessment of normal values of muscle strength can be determined for the health outcome of adolescents, especially those who are living in a developing country.
Aims: The purpose of this study is to identify the relationship between anthropometric variables and vertical jumping performances. The jump height and the average of power were measured to establish reference values of vertical jumping parameters in Tunisian healthy adolescents aged 13-19 in both sexes.
Subjects and methods: Five hundred and twenty-five school adolescents (242 males and 283 females) were randomly selected to participate in this study. Maximum height and average of power reached in countermovement jump and squat jump were provided by an Optojump device. Full and stepwise regression models were used to identify which anthropometric parameters significantly contributed to performance variables.
Results: All anthropometric parameters increased with age. Reference values and multiple prediction equations of vertical jump parameters were set based on a large sample of healthy Tunisian adolescents. The multiple regressions showed that age, mass, sitting height, waist size, fat-free mass and leg muscle volume for boys and mass for girls were the best predictors of jumping performances.
Conclusion: This study provides normative data for jumping performances in Tunisian healthy adolescents aged 13-19 in both sexes. The percentiles values are calculated to estimate the levels of adolescents with high or low jumping performances.
Keywords: Adolescent; growth; jump height; leg muscle power; muscle volume.