Background Improvement sought in the performance of a professional volleyball team, eighth in Japanese Premiere Volleyball League 2009-Season, based on collection and analysis of biometric data.

Objective Physical performance and biometric data were collected from one team of the Japanese Premiere Volleyball League (CT) and the Japanese National Team (NT). The aim is to compare the fitness of CT to NT and analyze differences in athletes of high and low performance.

Design Measure values in 10 physical performance tests and body-composition.

Setting The study was conducted in the regular training facility of CT team. Photo-detector and yardstick were used for measurements.

Participants 18 healthy male players on the active roster of CT team were examined. The control consisted of 21 members of NT.

Intervention Measurements for CT were taken during the 2010 off-season, with NT taken during the same period 2009. The 10 performance tests are: 20 m dash, pro agility, T test, vertical jump, medicine-ball throw, standing triple jump, standing triple long jump, block jump, sit-up, and endurance test. Body-composition parameters are age, height, weight, body mass index, standing reach, vertical jump, and running vertical jump.

Main outcome measurements We hypothesized NT would show higher numbers than CT in both power and speed tests. Significant difference was found only in the medicine-ball throw, while other tests did not reveal significant differences.

Results NT had higher numbers in height, weight, and standing reach, recorded higher numbers in medicine-ball throw. CT produced higher numbers in vertical jump.

Conclusions Since NT displayed higher numbers in medicine-ball throw CT will be required to improve power in order to achieve similar performance. Results also show that NT has slightly higher values in pro agility. This suggests that CT, with their lower body composition figures, also needs to improve agility to perform at the same level as NT.