Performance of Youth Athletes Is Not Consistently Determined by Maturity or Training Experience: A Cross-Sectional Study.
| Title: | Performance of Youth Athletes Is Not Consistently Determined by Maturity or Training Experience: A Cross-Sectional Study. |
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| Authors: | Lykidis A; Laboratory of Neuromechanics, Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences at Serres, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 62500 Serres, Greece.; Pechlivanos RG; Laboratory of Neuromechanics, Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences at Serres, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 62500 Serres, Greece.; Angelou A; Laboratory of Neuromechanics, Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences at Serres, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 62500 Serres, Greece.; Varvariotis N; Laboratory of Neuromechanics, Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences at Serres, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 62500 Serres, Greece.; Sahinis C; Laboratory of Neuromechanics, Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences at Serres, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 62500 Serres, Greece.; Amiridis IG; Laboratory of Neuromechanics, Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences at Serres, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 62500 Serres, Greece.; Enoka RM; Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA. |
| Source: | Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology [J Funct Morphol Kinesiol] 2026 Apr 22; Vol. 11 (2). Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Apr 22. |
| Publication Type: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Journal Info: | Publisher: MDPI AG Country of Publication: Switzerland NLM ID: 101712257 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 2411-5142 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 24115142 NLM ISO Abbreviation: J Funct Morphol Kinesiol Subsets: PubMed not MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: Basel, Switzerland : MDPI AG, [2016]- |
| Abstract: | Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the influence of biological maturity status and training experience on motor performance in young athletes of different sport disciplines. Methods: Youth athletes (n = 84, 23 females) from five different sports (basketball, volleyball, track and field, wrestling, and badminton) participated in this study. Jump height was measured for the squat jump (SJ) and countermovement jump (CMJ). Peak torque during maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs) and torque steadiness at 20% MVC were assessed during plantar flexion (PF) and dorsiflexion (DF). Postural control was assessed with the one-leg test for both the right and left legs. K-means clustered analysis categorized participants into groups of low and high performers. Results: High performers had greater training experience than low performers for the SJ (p < 0.05), with no difference in maturity status (p > 0.05). Similarly, high performers had greater training experience (p < 0.05) than low performers for the CMJ, with no difference in maturity status (p > 0.05). High performers were more mature than low performers for MVC torque of DF (p < 0.001) and PF (p < 0.001), with no group differences in training experience (DF: p > 0.05; PF: p > 0.05). Maturity status for torque steadiness differed only for DF (p < 0.001), whereas there was no difference for PF (p > 0.05). There were no differences in either maturity status or training experience for one-leg-stance time (p > 0.05). Conclusions: These findings suggest that maturity status and training experience are linked to performance, although their relative roles differ across tasks. These findings reflect an interaction between biological maturity, training background and sports performance in youth athletes. |
| Grant Information: | RG-2206-39688 National Multiple Sclerosis Society |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: maturation; neuromuscular function; puberty; training exposure |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260424 Date Completed: 20260424 Latest Revision: 20260426 |
| Update Code: | 20260426 |
| PubMed Central ID: | PMC13108137 |
| DOI: | 10.3390/jfmk11020166 |
| PMID: | 42029534 |
| Database: | MEDLINE |
Journal Article