Gender and Age Differences in Response to Training

Training in Children and Adolescents

The unique training needs and responses of children and adolescents center on several key areas, including their physical readiness and abilities, their psychological readiness to participate, their nutritional status and needs, and their injury patterns.

Children's physical state both affects and is affected by their training. Before children can participate in an athletic activity, they must have not only reached the appropriate developmental milestones that will give them the necessary gross and fine motor skills to participate but also attained a certain level of performance for the particular activity. Growth attenuation has been observed in children participating at certain levels of training intensity (e.g., gymnastics). Catch-up growth does occur when the intensity is returned to a more physiologic level. Exercise can also increase a child's bone formation during periods of rapid bone development. When performed under adult supervision, strength training can increase a child's neuromuscular activation, improving contractility as well as facilitating a balance between the agonist and antagonist muscle groups. Overtraining—for example, participating in one sport year-round—can result in overuse injuries, including growth plate injuries (e.g., Little League shoulder) and apophysitis. Return-to-play decisions should be conducted with predetermined, and strictly enforced, guidelines so as to avoid further or additional injury. Injury rates can also be reduced by providing appropriate coach and trainer education; rule, field, and equipment adjustments; and supervision.

Psychology is also an important component of pediatric and adolescent training. Before a child can participate in sporting activities, he or she must be psychologically ready. Preschool children are only ready to participate in activities that display and promote their general skills (e.g., kicking, running, and throwing) and are not quite ready to participate in a sporting event (e.g., baseball, soccer), as they are able to appreciate neither the rules of the game nor the theory of teamwork as grade school children are able to do. Middle school–age children have advanced capacities for teamwork, an increased understanding of competition, and improved skills for play. Pubertal adolescents’ skills are further increased, as is their self-evaluation and ability to compare themselves with others in their sport.

Just as the readiness of the child affects his or her training and sport, so does his or her participation in athletics affect his or her psyche. Healthy participation can provide the motivation to continue the activity, confidence in oneself and one's abilities, and general enjoyment. Children and adolescents who participate in athletic activities also display a higher level of social function than their nonathletic peers. One caveat involves children and adolescents who overtrain. These individuals are susceptible to burnout, resulting in [Page 580]depression, fatigue, substance abuse, and eating disorders.

...