Do Female Gymnasts Experience Catch-up Growth During Periods of Rest Following Injury?

Abstract

PURPOSE: Several studies report delayed growth and hormonal changes during high intensity training in gymnasts, yet no studies specifically investigate the growth rate of gymnasts during periods of rest. The purpose of this investigation is to determine if an increased growth rate, or “catch-up growth”, exists in high level female gymnasts during periods of rest following injury. METHODS: A 5-year retrospective chart review was conducted at a large pediatric hospital. A search of medical records (1/1/2010-12/31/2015) identified female gymnasts 10-16 years old, training ≥10 hours/week or Junior Olympic level ≥7 who suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear requiring at least 6 months (m) recovery time out of training (Gym-ACL). The 6m growth rate of this group (n=23) was compared to female non-gymnast athletes with ACL injury and similar competitive level (Non-gym-ACL, n=29) and high level gymnasts training with minor injuries (Gym-min, n=27). One-way ANOVA with post-hoc correction was used to analyze the 6m rate of change in height, weight, and BMI of the 3 groups. RESULTS: There were no differences in mean ages (Gym-ACL: 14.8±1.8; Non-gym-ACL: 14.6±1.2; Gym-min: 13.9±2.0), nor significant differences in 6m changes in weight or BMI among the 3 groups. However, there was significant differences in the 6m height change among the 3 groups (p=0.024). A significantly greater height increase was observed in Gym-ACL (+1.40±2.16cm) compared to Non-gym-ACL (+0.02±1.72cm) groups (p=0.047), but no significant differences were found between the Gym-min (+1.32±2.27cm) and Non-gym-ACL (p=0.051) groups. CONCLUSIONS: The 6m growth rate of high level female gymnasts during periods of rest is greater than non-gymnast athletes, suggesting that catch-up growth does occur during periods of rest for highly active gymnasts. This evidence may help us better understand how growth is affected by training load and timing and help develop future training protocols and growth predictions.