Research Article
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Comparing Speed and Agility Performance in Team and Individual Athletes: The Role of Gender Differences

Year 2026, Volume: 8 Issue: 1, 66 - 74, 30.03.2026
https://doi.org/10.56639/jsar.1861954
https://izlik.org/JA52HU59NL

Abstract

This study aimed to compare sprint (30m) and agility (T-test) performances in team and individual athletes and to examine the effect of gender on this relationship. 48 elite athletes (24 team, 24 individuals; 20 men, 28 women) participated in the study. All par-ticipants underwent a 30m sprint test and a T-test agility test. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA. According to the two-way ANOVA results, while the 30m sprint performances of the participants showed a significant difference according to gender (F = 18.765; p = 0.001; ηp2 = 0.299, large effect), no significant difference was found according to sport type (F = 0.487; p = 0.489; ηp2 = 0.011). While participants' agility test performances showed large and significant differences according to gender (F = 19.686; p = 0.001; ηp2 = 0.309, large effect), no significant difference was found according to sport type (F = 0.158; p = 0.693; ηp2 = 0.004). The study results show that the speed and agility performance patterns of female and male athletes differ, but there is no overall performance difference between team and individual athletes.

Ethical Statement

The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Ethics Committee of Mersin Uni-versity Sports Sciences (protocol code 038 and 21.04.2025) for studies involving humans.

References

  • Brughelli, M., Cronin, J., Levin, G., & Chaouachi, A. (2008). Understanding change of direction ability in sport: a review of resistance training studies. Sports medicine, 38(12), 1045-1063. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200838120-00007
  • Chaouachi, A., Brughelli, M., Levin, G., Boudhina, N. B. B., Cronin, J., & Chamari, K. (2009). Anthropometric, physiological and performance characteristics of elite team-handball players. Journal of Sports Sciences, 27(2), 151-157. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640410802448731
  • Clemente, F. M., Moran, J., Ramirez-Campillo, R., Chaabene, H., & Sanchez-Sanchez, J. (2025). Speed and Agility Training in Football. In Strength and Conditioning for Football (pp. 53-73). Routledge.
  • Cohen, J. (2013). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. Routledge.
  • Cronin, J. B., & Templeton, R. L. (2008). Timing light height affects sprint times. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 22(1), 318-320. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e31815fa3d3
  • Freitas, T. T., Pereira, L. A., Alcaraz, P. E., Comyns, T. M., Azevedo, P. H., & Loturco, I. (2022). Change-of-direction ability, linear sprint speed, and sprint momentum in elite female athletes: differences between three different team sports. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 36(1), 262-267. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000003857
  • Gaurav, V., Singh, A., & Singh, S. (2011). Comparison of physical fitness variables between individual games and team games athletes. Indian Journal of Science and Technology, 4(5), 547-549. https://doi.org/10.17485/ijst/2011/v4i5.20
  • Hackett, D. A., He, W., Fleeton, J. R., Orr, R., & Sanders, R. H. (2023). Effects of Age and Sex on Aerobic Fitness, Sprint Performance, and Change of Direction Speed in High School Athletes. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 37(5), e325-e331. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000004354
  • Handelsman, D. J., Hirschberg, A. L., & Bermon, S. (2018). Circulating testosterone as the hormonal basis of sex differences in athletic performance. Endocrine reviews, 39(5), 803-829. https://doi.org/10.1210/er.2018-00020
  • Haugen, T. A., Breitschädel, F., & Seiler, S. (2019). Sprint mechanical variables in elite athletes: Are force-velocity profiles sport specific or individual?. PLoS One, 14(7), e0215551. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0215551
  • Hunter, S. K., Angadi, S. S., Bhargava, A., Harper, J., Hirschberg, A. L., Levine, B. D., Moreau, K. L., Nokoff, N. J., Stachenfeld, N. S., & Bermon, S. (2023). The Biological Basis of Sex Differences in Athletic Performance: Consensus Statement for the American College of Sports Medicine. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 55(12), 2328–2360. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000003300
  • Hunter, S. K., & Senefeld, J. W. (2024). Sex differences in human performance. The Journal of Physiology, 602(17), 4129-4156. https://doi.org/10.1113/JP284198
  • Johnson, T. M., Brown, L. E., Coburn, J. W., Judelson, D. A., Khamoui, A. V., Tran, T. T., & Uribe, B. P. (2010). Effect of four different starting stances on sprint time in collegiate volleyball players. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 24(10), 2641-2646. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181f159a3
  • Mackala, K., Vodičar, J., Žvan, M., Križaj, J., Stodolka, J., Rauter, S., ... & Čoh, M. (2020). Evaluation of the pre-planned and non-planed agility performance: Comparison between individual and team sports. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(3), 975. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17030975
  • Mahapatra, C., & Abhinandan, A. (2023). Correlation between speed and agility with an influence of gender in adolescent Kho-Kho players—an observational study. Bulletin of Faculty of Physical Therapy, 28(1), 41. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43161-023-00148-5
  • Miller, M. G., Herniman, J. J., Ricard, M. D., Cheatham, C. C., & Michael, T. J. (2006). The effects of a 6-week plyometric training program on agility. Journal of sports science & medicine, 5(3), 459-465. 24353464
  • Morral-Yepes, M., Moras, G., Bishop, C., & Gonzalo-Skok, O. (2022). Assessing the reliability and validity of agility testing in team sports: a systematic review. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 36(7), 2035-2049. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000003753
  • Nicholson, B., Dinsdale, A., Jones, B., & Till, K. (2021). The training of short distance sprint performance in football code athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 51(6), 1179-1207. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-020-01372-y
  • Nimphius, S., Callaghan, S. J., Spiteri, T., & Lockie, R. G. (2016). Change of direction deficit: A more isolated measure of change of direction performance than total 505 time. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 30(11), 3024-3032. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000001421
  • Nimphius, S., Callaghan, S. J., Bezodis, N. E., & Lockie, R. G. (2018). Change of direction and agility tests: Challenging our current measures of performance. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 40(1), 26-38. https://doi.org/10.1519/SSC.0000000000000309
  • Nuzzo, J. L., & Pinto, M. D. (2025). Sex Differences in Upper- and Lower-Limb Muscle Strength in Children and Adolescents: A Meta-Analysis. European journal of sport science, 25(5), e12282. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsc.12282
  • Pereira, L. A., Nimphius, S., Kobal, R., Kitamura, K., Turisco, L. A., Orsi, R. C., ... & Loturco, I. (2018). Relationship between change of direction, speed, and power in male and female national olympic team handball athletes. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 32(10), 2987-2994. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000002494
  • Rabita, G., Dorel, S., Slawinski, J., Saez de Villarreal, E., Couturier, A., Samozino, P., & Morin, J.B. (2015). Sprint mechanics in world-class athletes: A new insight into the limits of human locomotion. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 25(5), 583–594. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.12389
  • Raya, M. A., Gailey, R. S., Gaunaurd, I. A., Jayne, D. M., Campbell, S. M., Gagne, E., ... & Tucker, C. (2013). Comparison of three agility tests with male servicemembers: Edgren Side Step Test, T-Test, and Illinois Agility Test. Journal of Rehabilitation Research & Development, 50(7). http://dx.doi.org/10.1682/JRRD.2012.05.0096
  • Saygin, O., & Özşaker M., (2012). The comparison of some physical fitness for individual and team athletes. Niğde Üniversitesi Beden Eğitimi ve Spor Bilimleri Dergisi, 6(2), 102-111. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/1032809
  • Sekulic, D., Spasic, M., Mirkov, D., Cavar, M., & Sattler, T. (2013). Gender-specific influences of balance, speed, and power on agility performance. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 27(3), 802-811. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e31825c2cb0
  • van den Tillaar, R. (2021). Effect of active resisted 30 m sprints upon step and joint kinematics and muscle activity in experienced male and female sprinters. Journal of sports sciences, 39(9), 1060-1069. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2020.1856463
  • Yanci, J., Los Arcos, A., Castillo, D., & Cámara, J. (2017). Sprinting, change of direction ability and horizontal jump performance in youth runners according to gender. Journal of Human Kinetics, 60, 199. https://doi.org/10.1515/hukin-2017-0103
  • Young, W. B., James, R., & Montgomery, I. (2002). Is muscle power related to running speed with changes of direction?. Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness, 42(3), 282-288. 12094116
  • Zwierko, M., Jedziniak, W., Popowczak, M., & Rokita, A. (2023). Reactive agility in competitive young volleyball players: a gender comparison of perceptual-cognitive and motor determinants. Journal of human kinetics, 85, 87. https://doi.org/10.2478/hukin-2022-0112

Takım ve Bireysel Sporcularda Sürat ile Çeviklik Performansının Karşılaştırılması: Cinsiyet Farklılıklarının Rolü

Year 2026, Volume: 8 Issue: 1, 66 - 74, 30.03.2026
https://doi.org/10.56639/jsar.1861954
https://izlik.org/JA52HU59NL

Abstract

Bu çalışma, takım ve bireysel sporcuların sprint (30 m) ve çeviklik (T-testi) performanslarını karşılaştırmayı ve cinsiyetin bu ilişki üzerindeki etkisini incelemeyi amaçlamıştır. Çalışmaya 48 elit sporcu (24 takım, 24 bireysel; 20 erkek, 28 kadın) katılmıştır. Tüm katılımcılar 30 m sprint testi ve T-testi çeviklik testine tabi tutulmuştur. Veriler tekrarlı ölçümler ANOVA kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. İki yönlü ANOVA sonuçlarına göre, katılımcıların 30 m sprint performanslarında cinsiyete göre anlamlı bir fark bulunurken (F = 18.765; p = 0.001; ηp2 = 0.299, büyük etki), spor türüne göre anlamlı bir fark bulunmamıştır (F = 0.487; p = 0.489; ηp2 = 0.011). Katılımcıların çeviklik testi performanslarında cinsiyete göre büyük ve anlamlı farklılıklar gözlemlenirken (F = 19.686; p = 0.001; ηp2 = 0.309, büyük etki), spor türüne göre anlamlı bir farklılık bulunmadı (F = 0.158; p = 0.693; ηp2 = 0.004). Çalışma sonuçları, kadın ve erkek sporcuların hız ve çeviklik performans modellerinin farklı olduğunu, ancak takım ve bireysel sporcular arasında genel performans farkı olmadığını göstermektedir.

Ethical Statement

Çalışma, Helsinki Bildirgesi'ne uygun olarak yürütülmüş ve insanlarla ilgili çalışmalar için Mersin Üniversitesi Spor Bilimleri Etik Kurulu tarafından onaylanmıştır (protokol kodu 038 ve 21.04.2025).

References

  • Brughelli, M., Cronin, J., Levin, G., & Chaouachi, A. (2008). Understanding change of direction ability in sport: a review of resistance training studies. Sports medicine, 38(12), 1045-1063. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200838120-00007
  • Chaouachi, A., Brughelli, M., Levin, G., Boudhina, N. B. B., Cronin, J., & Chamari, K. (2009). Anthropometric, physiological and performance characteristics of elite team-handball players. Journal of Sports Sciences, 27(2), 151-157. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640410802448731
  • Clemente, F. M., Moran, J., Ramirez-Campillo, R., Chaabene, H., & Sanchez-Sanchez, J. (2025). Speed and Agility Training in Football. In Strength and Conditioning for Football (pp. 53-73). Routledge.
  • Cohen, J. (2013). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. Routledge.
  • Cronin, J. B., & Templeton, R. L. (2008). Timing light height affects sprint times. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 22(1), 318-320. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e31815fa3d3
  • Freitas, T. T., Pereira, L. A., Alcaraz, P. E., Comyns, T. M., Azevedo, P. H., & Loturco, I. (2022). Change-of-direction ability, linear sprint speed, and sprint momentum in elite female athletes: differences between three different team sports. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 36(1), 262-267. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000003857
  • Gaurav, V., Singh, A., & Singh, S. (2011). Comparison of physical fitness variables between individual games and team games athletes. Indian Journal of Science and Technology, 4(5), 547-549. https://doi.org/10.17485/ijst/2011/v4i5.20
  • Hackett, D. A., He, W., Fleeton, J. R., Orr, R., & Sanders, R. H. (2023). Effects of Age and Sex on Aerobic Fitness, Sprint Performance, and Change of Direction Speed in High School Athletes. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 37(5), e325-e331. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000004354
  • Handelsman, D. J., Hirschberg, A. L., & Bermon, S. (2018). Circulating testosterone as the hormonal basis of sex differences in athletic performance. Endocrine reviews, 39(5), 803-829. https://doi.org/10.1210/er.2018-00020
  • Haugen, T. A., Breitschädel, F., & Seiler, S. (2019). Sprint mechanical variables in elite athletes: Are force-velocity profiles sport specific or individual?. PLoS One, 14(7), e0215551. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0215551
  • Hunter, S. K., Angadi, S. S., Bhargava, A., Harper, J., Hirschberg, A. L., Levine, B. D., Moreau, K. L., Nokoff, N. J., Stachenfeld, N. S., & Bermon, S. (2023). The Biological Basis of Sex Differences in Athletic Performance: Consensus Statement for the American College of Sports Medicine. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 55(12), 2328–2360. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000003300
  • Hunter, S. K., & Senefeld, J. W. (2024). Sex differences in human performance. The Journal of Physiology, 602(17), 4129-4156. https://doi.org/10.1113/JP284198
  • Johnson, T. M., Brown, L. E., Coburn, J. W., Judelson, D. A., Khamoui, A. V., Tran, T. T., & Uribe, B. P. (2010). Effect of four different starting stances on sprint time in collegiate volleyball players. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 24(10), 2641-2646. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181f159a3
  • Mackala, K., Vodičar, J., Žvan, M., Križaj, J., Stodolka, J., Rauter, S., ... & Čoh, M. (2020). Evaluation of the pre-planned and non-planed agility performance: Comparison between individual and team sports. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(3), 975. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17030975
  • Mahapatra, C., & Abhinandan, A. (2023). Correlation between speed and agility with an influence of gender in adolescent Kho-Kho players—an observational study. Bulletin of Faculty of Physical Therapy, 28(1), 41. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43161-023-00148-5
  • Miller, M. G., Herniman, J. J., Ricard, M. D., Cheatham, C. C., & Michael, T. J. (2006). The effects of a 6-week plyometric training program on agility. Journal of sports science & medicine, 5(3), 459-465. 24353464
  • Morral-Yepes, M., Moras, G., Bishop, C., & Gonzalo-Skok, O. (2022). Assessing the reliability and validity of agility testing in team sports: a systematic review. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 36(7), 2035-2049. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000003753
  • Nicholson, B., Dinsdale, A., Jones, B., & Till, K. (2021). The training of short distance sprint performance in football code athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 51(6), 1179-1207. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-020-01372-y
  • Nimphius, S., Callaghan, S. J., Spiteri, T., & Lockie, R. G. (2016). Change of direction deficit: A more isolated measure of change of direction performance than total 505 time. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 30(11), 3024-3032. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000001421
  • Nimphius, S., Callaghan, S. J., Bezodis, N. E., & Lockie, R. G. (2018). Change of direction and agility tests: Challenging our current measures of performance. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 40(1), 26-38. https://doi.org/10.1519/SSC.0000000000000309
  • Nuzzo, J. L., & Pinto, M. D. (2025). Sex Differences in Upper- and Lower-Limb Muscle Strength in Children and Adolescents: A Meta-Analysis. European journal of sport science, 25(5), e12282. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsc.12282
  • Pereira, L. A., Nimphius, S., Kobal, R., Kitamura, K., Turisco, L. A., Orsi, R. C., ... & Loturco, I. (2018). Relationship between change of direction, speed, and power in male and female national olympic team handball athletes. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 32(10), 2987-2994. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000002494
  • Rabita, G., Dorel, S., Slawinski, J., Saez de Villarreal, E., Couturier, A., Samozino, P., & Morin, J.B. (2015). Sprint mechanics in world-class athletes: A new insight into the limits of human locomotion. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 25(5), 583–594. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.12389
  • Raya, M. A., Gailey, R. S., Gaunaurd, I. A., Jayne, D. M., Campbell, S. M., Gagne, E., ... & Tucker, C. (2013). Comparison of three agility tests with male servicemembers: Edgren Side Step Test, T-Test, and Illinois Agility Test. Journal of Rehabilitation Research & Development, 50(7). http://dx.doi.org/10.1682/JRRD.2012.05.0096
  • Saygin, O., & Özşaker M., (2012). The comparison of some physical fitness for individual and team athletes. Niğde Üniversitesi Beden Eğitimi ve Spor Bilimleri Dergisi, 6(2), 102-111. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/1032809
  • Sekulic, D., Spasic, M., Mirkov, D., Cavar, M., & Sattler, T. (2013). Gender-specific influences of balance, speed, and power on agility performance. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 27(3), 802-811. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e31825c2cb0
  • van den Tillaar, R. (2021). Effect of active resisted 30 m sprints upon step and joint kinematics and muscle activity in experienced male and female sprinters. Journal of sports sciences, 39(9), 1060-1069. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2020.1856463
  • Yanci, J., Los Arcos, A., Castillo, D., & Cámara, J. (2017). Sprinting, change of direction ability and horizontal jump performance in youth runners according to gender. Journal of Human Kinetics, 60, 199. https://doi.org/10.1515/hukin-2017-0103
  • Young, W. B., James, R., & Montgomery, I. (2002). Is muscle power related to running speed with changes of direction?. Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness, 42(3), 282-288. 12094116
  • Zwierko, M., Jedziniak, W., Popowczak, M., & Rokita, A. (2023). Reactive agility in competitive young volleyball players: a gender comparison of perceptual-cognitive and motor determinants. Journal of human kinetics, 85, 87. https://doi.org/10.2478/hukin-2022-0112
There are 30 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Sports Training, Exercise Physiology
Journal Section Research Article
Authors

Nasuh Evrim Acar 0000-0003-0423-1642

Submission Date January 12, 2026
Acceptance Date March 12, 2026
Publication Date March 30, 2026
DOI https://doi.org/10.56639/jsar.1861954
IZ https://izlik.org/JA52HU59NL
Published in Issue Year 2026 Volume: 8 Issue: 1

Cite

APA Acar, N. E. (2026). Comparing Speed and Agility Performance in Team and Individual Athletes: The Role of Gender Differences. Journal of Sport for All and Recreation, 8(1), 66-74. https://doi.org/10.56639/jsar.1861954

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