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The Influence of Relative Age and Biological Maturity on Youth Weightlifting Performance
Stephanie J Morris1, Jon L Oliver1,2, John M Radnor1
1Youth Physical Development Centre, Cardiff School of Sport and Health Sciences, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff,United Kingdom.
Pediatric Exercise Science
|January 30, 2025
Summary
Biological maturation, not relative age, significantly impacts youth weightlifting talent identification and performance. Early maturing athletes show advantages in weightlifting selection and ability.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Pediatric Sports Medicine
- Talent Identification
Background:
- Relative age effects and biological maturation are known biases in youth sports.
- Their specific impact on weightlifting talent identification and development remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of relative age and biological maturation on weightlifting talent identification and performance in youth athletes.
- To determine which factor, relative age or maturation, has a greater effect.
Main Methods:
- Skeletal age (via ultrasonography) and competitive performance data were collected from 49 national youth weightlifters.
- Maturity timing was assessed using the skeletal age-chronological age discrepancy score.
- Relative age effects were examined by classifying birth dates into quartiles.
Main Results:
- Birth quartile distributions did not differ significantly from national norms, indicating no significant relative age effect.
- Maturity biases were observed, with a higher proportion of early maturers and fewer on-time maturers than expected (P < .05).
- Skeletal age significantly explained a large portion of the variance in weightlifting performance for both boys (R² = .73) and girls (R² = .75).
Conclusions:
- Biological maturation is a more significant factor than relative age in selecting youth for weightlifting talent pathways.
- Maturation strongly influences weightlifting performance and is crucial for effective talent identification and development strategies.
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