Growth and Maturation in the Young Athlete

Recommended Prerequisites

Motor development, Auxology and kinantropometry, General physiology, pediatric physiology.

Teaching Methods

Initially the classes will assume a plenary format. After this initial approach the students will be exposed to a more interactive environment.

Learning Outcomes

[1] Understanding growth and maturation as normal transformation in the first decades of the lifecycle; [2] Determining growth status: stature for age, body mass or age, body mass for stature; [3] Assessing nutritional status using indices combining stature and body mass and usage of cutpoints by the International Obesity Task Force and Center for Disease Control and Prevention; [4] Assessing biological maturation: sexual markers (scales of gonadal development and pubic hair), somatic markers (maturity offset; percentage of mature stature).  Transforming maturity offset and percentage of mature stature into maturity status; [5] Assessing of body composition using anthropometric equations, bioimpedance and a air displacement plethismography; [6] Identifying variation of growth status, maturity, somatotype and body composition by sport, sex and age; [7]  Distinguishing causal and spurious relationships between intensive training in young athletes and biological maturation.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

[1] Growth status: data collection, control of data quality, stature-for-age, weight-for-age, weight-for-stature, z-distribution (CDC), percentiles (CDC). [2] Overweight: body mass index, cut-off values for overweight and obesity according to IOTF, CDC, Must et al. and Fitnessgram; Body composition: models, anthropometric-based assessment, equations for children, youth and adults, estimates of lower limb fat mass and of lower limb fat-free body mass. [3] Physique: somatotyping children and adolescents, multivariate analysis of somatotype data. [4] Biological maturation: self and clinical assessment of sexual maturation, maturity offset, estimate of mature stature, % of mature stature as a measure of maturation, essentials of skeletal age determination; [5] Motor development: motor patterns, motor skills, motor proficiency assessment [throw, catching, dribbling, kicking], sport-skill assessment, motor coordination assessment; [6] Physical fitness: concepts, batteries, tests in the context of health-related fitness. Sexual dimorphism, secular trends and sociogeographic variation; [7] Physical activity: methods, 3-day diary, daily energy expenditure, METS, screen time, sport-related activities, accelerometry, patterns of physical activity.

Head Lecturer(s)

António José Barata Figueiredo

Assessment Methods

Continuous
Practical work: 50.0%
Synthesis work: 50.0%

Bibliography

[1] Carter, J.E., & Heath, B. (1991). Somatotyping: development and applications. Cambridge University Press.

[2] Malina, R.M., Bouchard, C., & Bar-Or, O. (2004). Growth, maturation and physical activity. 2nd edition. Champaign, Illinois: Human Kinetics.

[3] Malina, R. (1980). Biosocial correlates of motor development during infancy and early childhood. In L.S. Greene & F.E. Johnston (editores). Social and biological predictors of nutricional status, physical growth, and neurological development. Academic Press, New York, pp: 143-171.

[4] Kiess, W., Marcus, C., & Wabtsch, M. (2004). Obesity in childhood and adolescence. London: Karger.

[5] Eston, R., & Reilly, T. (2001). Kinanthropometry and exercise physiology laboratory manual. 2nd edition. London: Routledge.

[6] Haywood, K.M., & Getchell, N. (2001). Life Span Motor Development. 3rd edition. Champaign, Illinois: Human Kinetics.

[7] Romão Rodrigues (2005). Estatuto sociométrico, estado de crescimento e prestação motora. 1.º curso de mestrado em Desenvolvimento e Adaptação Motor. Faculdade de Ciências do Desporto e Educação Física – Universidade de Coimbra