Abstract
PurposeThe aim of this study was to determine the modulatory roles of biological maturity and age on the predictors of performance in youth swimmers and their stability over a six-month training cycle.MethodsIn total, 28 swimmers (10 pre-pubertal [6 boys], 11.1 ± 1.8 years; 18 pubertal [8 boys], 15.2 ± 2.0 years old) and 26 untrained controls (15 pre-pubertal [10 boys], 9.7 ± 1.5 years; 11 pubertal [6 boys], 14.4 ± 0.5 years old) were recruited. At baseline, 3- and 6-months, participants completed an incremental ramp cycle test, isometric handgrip strength test and countermovement jumps, with speed assessed as a measure of performance in swimmers. Principle component analysis (PCA) identified factors that described youth swimmers’ physical profile, with linear mixed models subsequently used to determine their interaction with age and maturity on performance.ResultsAerobic fitness and upper body strength were significantly higher in the trained participants, irrespective of maturity status or time-point. Four key factors were identified through PCA (anthropometrics; strength; aerobic capacity; aerobic rate), accounting for 90% of the between parameter variance. Age exerted a widespread influence on swimming performance predictors, influencing all four factors, whilst maturity only influenced the aerobic factors. The key age of divergence was 13 years.ConclusionOverall, the present study found no evidence of a maturational threshold in the aerobic or strength-related response to training in youth. The influence of age on performance predictors suggests that utilising a single or select group of parameters to inform selection and/or talent identification throughout the dynamic processes of growth and maturation should be avoided.
Highlights
The popularity of youth sports continues to rise [43], with the age at which children enter training programs continuing to decrease [46], despite this, whether children are “trainable” remains a contentious issue [38]
There was no significant difference between the VO2peak achieved during the incremental ramp test and the supramaximal validation bout
The current findings demonstrate a significant influence of training on maximal and submaximal parameters of aerobic fitness and handgrip strength in both pre-pubertal and pubertal youth
Summary
The popularity of youth sports continues to rise [43], with the age at which children enter training programs continuing to decrease [46], despite this, whether children are “trainable” remains a contentious issue [38]. There have been suggestions that, at least in some parameters, there may be a maturational threshold below which training effects are likely to be negligible [30]. Such hypotheses have important implications in the identification of key determinants of performance, implying that these determinants may be Swimmers typically start intensive training pre-puberty [17], with peak performance levels occurring at a relatively young age [13]. The majority of studies investigating the determinants of swimming performance in youth have concentrated on anthropometrical and biomechanical factors, with only a few considering potential bio-energetic determinants, such as aerobic capacity. Duche et al [14] found cycle-ergometer derived peak oxygen uptake (VO2), adjusted for thoracic cross-sectional area, to be a significant predictor of
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