Reference Values and Gender Differences of the Functional Parameters in Romanian Elite Junior Tennis Players

Purpose: To establish the reference values and gender differences regarding fitness, strength, and time reaction of the Romanian elite junior tennis players. Material and Methods: Thirty four junior tennis players (19 male, 15 female) with a mean age of 15 years were selected from the database of the Cardiopulmonary Effort Testing and Physical Performance Laboratory from Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, West University of Timisoara. To be included in the study, a tennis player had to belong to the Romanian Tennis Federation as a junior, be among the 50 best players in his/her category, and have no pathology at the evaluation moment. All subjects underwent functional evaluation by performing a maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test, the counter movement jump test and complex opto-acoustic reaction test. Results: The functional performance are significantly different for males and females in all parameters studied, with male tennis players showing better performance than female tennis players. Conclusions: The mean values of functional parameters of the Romanian elite junior tennis players are lower than international competitive tennis athletes. There are significant gender differences in junior tennis players. We hope that the present study results provide useful reference values for coaches and physical trainers in order to improve functional performance of their junior tennis players