Physical fitness of young male athletes related to chronological age and sexual maturity status

Abstract

The necessity to consider the influence of physical growth and biological maturation on physical fitness development directed this study to two aims: a) to describe the development of physical fitness components of young male athletes in in relation to two different age-groups and maturational status; b) to verify the impact of biological maturation on physical fitness in two different age-groups. The sample was composed by 218 young male athletes separated in two groups (Group A = 12/13 years-old; Group B = 14/16 years-old). Aerobic capacity, lower limb power, abdominal resistance, upper limb power, velocity, agility and flexibility were measured. Sexual maturity was evaluated according to Tanner (1962). Analysis of variance ONE-WAY was used to verify differences between maturity status in each age-group. All the components of physical fitness presented increasing values among sexual maturity status from 12 to 16 years except abdominal resistance, which showed constant values in the group from 12 to 13 years old. Sexual maturation had significant effect in the upper and lower limb power as well in velocity in both age-groups, agility and flexibility for group A and abdominal resistance for group B. In conclusion, motor skills showed progress in accordance with the chronological age and level of biological maturation; the biological maturation effect was significant for both groups (12/13 years, 14/16 years) on lower limb power, upper limb power and velocity.