栄養学ジャーナル

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The Influence of Growth and Maturity on Long-term Athletic Development: Enhancing Performance and Injury Resilience Throughout Adolescence

Micheál J Cahill

Adolescence is a critical time in a young athlete’s life with lasting effects on physical and psychosocial characteristics into adulthood. Bridging the gap between pre to post adolescence is particularly important for young athletes with aspirations to excel in sport, and therefore will need to specialize at some point. However, intensified sport-specific training around periods of accelerated growth and development further complicate and reinforce the need for a more qualitative approach to training. Periods of rapid growth increase the likelihood of injury in young athletes, while the underlying processes that contribute to growth, maturation and development may have implications for how young athletes adapt to training. The aim of the presentation is the to better equip practitioners to assess, interpret and prescribe training by better understanding the implications for exercise selection and rate of adaptation across young athletes of varying maturation. By investing time in building solid foundations a long-term athletic development program should be able to create robust athletes who are better able to avoid and recovery from injuries, and athletes who are able to train and perform at a higher level when they leave a youth program.