Maturity offset in gymnasts: application of a prediction equation

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Pediatric Endocrinology
• Human Growth and Development

Background:

• Accurate assessment of skeletal maturity is crucial for optimizing training and injury prevention in young athletes.
• Maturity offset is a method used to predict age at peak height velocity (PHV), a key indicator of adolescent growth.
• Previous studies have not extensively evaluated the applicability of maturity offset in elite female gymnasts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the accuracy of the prediction equation for maturity offset in a longitudinal sample of female gymnasts.
• To assess the reliability of maturity offset as an indicator of skeletal maturity timing in adolescent gymnasts.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal follow-up of 15 female gymnasts for 6-7 years during adolescence.
• Annual measurements of weight, height, and sitting height.
• Application of the Preece-Baines Model I to derive age at PHV (criterion) and calculation of maturity offset for comparison.

Main Results:

• Maturity offset tended to overestimate the age at PHV in the studied gymnasts.
• Significant differences between predicted and criterion ages at PHV were observed, particularly at age 9.
• Bland-Altman analysis revealed a systematic bias in maturity offset predictions for this cohort.

Conclusions:

• The maturity offset prediction equation demonstrates limitations when applied to female gymnasts.
• Caution is advised when using maturity offset and predicted age at PHV to indicate maturity timing in female gymnasts and potentially other short females.
• Further investigation is warranted to refine maturity assessment tools for athletic populations.