The Influence of Relative Age and Biological Maturity on Youth Weightlifting Performance

Relative age effects and biological maturation are common biases within youth talent identification and development programs; however, their respective influence on youth weightlifting is unknown.

Skeletal age, determined from ultrasonography, and competitive total loads (kg) were collected in 49 national age group weightlifters (boys: n = 24, age = 13.8 [2.4] y; girls: n = 25, age = 13.2 [2.4] y). The discrepancy score between skeletal age and chronological age was used to determine maturity timing, and participants' birth dates were classified into birth quartiles to examine relative age effects.

Chi-square analysis (χ2) showed that birth quartile distributions across the age groups were not significantly different from national norms; however, maturity biases were evident, with significantly more "early maturers" and significantly fewer "on time maturers" than expected (P < .05). Regression analyses indicated that a large amount of variance in weightlifting performance (ie, absolute combined total) could be explained by skeletal age in both boys (R2 = .73) and girls (R2 = .75).

Biological maturation influences selection into weightlifting talent pathways to a greater extent than relative age. Maturation also has a strong influence on weightlifting performance and should be considered to facilitate both the identification and development of weightlifting talent.