Exercise Physiology: Developmental Difference

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According to Rowland physical growth is “the most important factor in the development of physical responses to exercise during the childhood years” (p. 22-23). More importantly, Rowland points out that differences in rate of growth (defined in the previous section as pubertal tempo) is largely responsible for the differences in physical performance in pediatric age groups.

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The difference between a child prior to puberty and one in the middle of pubertal development is quite substantial. “A 16 year old has a three times greater maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 Max) than he had back at the age 5”(Rowland, 2005, p. 23). This is due partly because the total capacity of the lungs grows from 1937ml to 5685ml from the age of 6 to 16, the heart also grows from a weight of 95g to 258g. As teenagers grow, they become more economical when they run and they improve muscle strength due to an increased volume of muscle tissue (Rowland, 2005).

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All of these changes in maturation result in a better athletic performance. In a

study conducted by Jones, Hitchen and Stratton (2000), they examined three variables that may have an impact on physical performance (sexual maturity, mass, and stature) through a series of three tests (vertical jump test, hand grip strength and a multi-stage 20m shuttle run test). Following their study, Jones et al. (2000), found that, “In boys, differences between sexual maturity stages were evident in all three measures, even when the combined influence of mass and stature were removed. These results emphasize the concept that sexual maturity has a significant independent effect upon physical fitness test performance”(p.62).

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In an analysis of 29 swimmers, each of which had trained for the past 3.0 ± 1.1 years and 8.4 ± 1.7 hr/week for at least the previous 2 years, found that pubertal boys (classified as Tanner Stage 3 or 4) had higher performance values than pre-pubertal boys (classified as Tanner Stage 1 or 2) (Jurimae et al., 2007).

 

In the study performed by Jurimae et al. (2007), researchers found that Absolute VO2peak was significantly higher in pubertal boys (4.36 ± 1.11 L/min) than in prepubertal boys (2.86 ± 0.74 L/min). The study also showed that performance time, swimming velocity, distance per stroke, stroke economy, caloric expenditure and VO2 values for the “maximal 400-m front crawl swimming test were significantly higher in pubertal boys than in prepubertal boys” (Jurimae et al., 2007, p. 74). Stroke rate and increase in blood lactate was not found to be significantly different between pubertal and prepubertal boys.

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The research is not slim on the substantial differences in athletic performance

tests across developmental stages. It can be concluded that those adolescents that are more mature, or have progressed further into puberty, than their counterparts will perform at a greater level due primarily to physiological changes that are advantageous to them.