THE YOUNG ATHLETE

and development if they are to fully understand the impact of training.

CONCLUSION The earliest training studies involving children invariably included a wide range of sporting and physiological capabilities that are not typical of child athletes who regularly train and compete nationally. Consequently, evidence that children were as trainable as adults was equivocal. More recent studies examining children training under more intense training volumes and for longer durations (> 6 months) are showing that children are, in relative per- centage terms, comparable to adults. Additionally, this comparability becomes stronger as the adolescent moves through the maturational stages until adult status is attained (27). After this period physio- logical adaptations, as a consequence of training, are likely to be due to the training stimulus and a minor component due to statural growth and maturation components.

Well constructed experiments, which have adequately controlled for growth and maturation in order to explain the effect of training on selected physiological variables are rare. This has lead to conflicting opinions particularly in relation to the issue of training and injuries and whether training affects growth. More work is urgently needed in these areas. It is important to appreciate the many positive benefits of children being involved in sport but children are not mini adults. Therefore, a coach whilst nurturing sporting talent must do so in the knowledge of the individual athletes growth and maturational stages.

THE AUTHOR Prof Craig Williams has been involved in the coaching and research of paediatric physiol- ogy for over twenty years. He is currently Associate Director of the Children’s Health and Exercise Research Centre (CHERC), School of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter and has published extensively in journals including Sports Medicine, Journal of Applied Physiology, Pediatric Exercise and British Journal of Sports Medicine. He is regularly consulted by such organisations as the British Cycling Federation, British Gymnastics and English Cricket Board on aspects related to the growth, maturation and training of young athletes.

www.sportex.net

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