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Short-Term Muscle Power Is Related to Lower Limb Muscle Volume in Young Children
Steven J Obst1, Kaysie Florance1, Luke Heales2
1School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Central Queensland University, Bundaberg, QLD,Australia.
Insights
Young children with larger lower limb muscles exhibit greater muscular power for activities like running and jumping. This study found no sex-based differences in muscular power or muscle volume (MV) in children aged 2-8 years.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric exercise science
- Neuromuscular development
- Biomechanical analysis
Background:
- Reduced muscular fitness in children is associated with adverse health outcomes.
- Muscle power, a key component of muscular fitness, is proportional to muscle volume.
- Limited research exists on the relationship between muscle volume and power in young children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between lower limb muscle volume and short-term muscular power in young children.
- To investigate potential sex-based differences in muscular power and muscle volume in this age group.
- To gain insights into early neuromuscular development and its relation to physical performance.
Main Methods:
- Forty-four children aged 2-8 years performed tests of short-term muscular power (sprint, vertical jump, horizontal jump).
- Three-dimensional ultrasound assessed muscle volume (MV) of three lower limb muscles (rectus femoris, medial gastrocnemius, tibialis anterior).
- Pearson correlation and analysis of covariance were used to analyze associations and sex differences.
Main Results:
- Moderate to strong positive associations (r = .57 - .87) were observed between summed lower limb muscle volume and muscular power.
- No significant sex-based differences were found for height, weight, muscle volume, or muscular power.
Conclusions:
- Larger lower limb muscle volume in young children correlates with enhanced short-term muscular power for activities like running and jumping.
- Early childhood short-term muscular power does not exhibit sex-based differences, aligning with similar anthropometric measures.
- Findings highlight the importance of muscle volume for pediatric physical performance and neuromuscular development.
Purpose:
Muscle power is a component of muscular fitness and is proportional to its volume. Reduced muscular fitness in children is linked to negative health outcomes. Associations between muscle volume (MV) and power have not been examined in young children and could reveal important insights into early neuromuscular development.
Method:
Forty-four children (2-8 y) completed 3 tests of short-term muscular power: repeated anaerobic sprint test, vertical jump, and horizontal jump. MV was assessed using 3D ultrasound for 3 lower limb muscles (rectus femoris, medial gastrocnemius, and tibialis anterior) and summed for across legs. Associations between muscular power and summed MV were assessed using Pearson correlation (r). Sex-based differences in muscular power and MV were assessed using 1-way analysis of covariance.
Results:
Moderate-strong associations (r = .57 - .87) were found between muscular power and summed MV. No differences were found between boys and girls for height, weight, MV, or muscular power.
Conclusions:
Young children who have larger lower limb muscles perform better at tasks dependent on short-term muscular power, such as running and jumping, compared with children with smaller muscles. Sex-based differences in short-term muscular power do not exist in young children and reflect similar anthropometry, including lower limb MV.
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