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Strength training for children and adolescents.
1Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
The Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
|February 15, 2001
Summary
Young athletes can safely build muscular strength through resistance training, primarily via improved neuromuscular activation. Gains are reversible and do not impact flexibility, debunking common myths about strength training for youth.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Pediatric Exercise Science
Background:
- Resistance training is increasingly popular for young athletes.
- Early concerns about safety and effectiveness have been largely addressed by current evidence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of strength training in young athletes.
- To clarify the physiological mechanisms behind strength gains in children and adolescents.
Main Methods:
- Review of current scientific evidence on youth resistance training.
- Analysis of physiological adaptations to strength training in pediatric populations.
Main Results:
- Children and adolescents can significantly increase muscular strength.
- Strength gains result from enhanced neuromuscular activation and coordination, not muscle hypertrophy.
- Training-induced strength gains are reversible upon cessation of training.
Conclusions:
- Properly supervised resistance training is safe and effective for young athletes.
- There is no evidence that children require androgens for strength gains or lose flexibility.
- Youth resistance training does not increase injury risk compared to untrained peers.