Jumping mechanography reference data in Canadian children and adolescents aged 6 to 20 years

Jumping mechanography is a tool for dynamic assessment of muscle function. We present the largest available reference data set to date for jumping mechanography in children and adolescents. Jumping mechanography reference data serve as a crucial benchmark for evaluating muscle and bone health outcomes in children and adolescents.

We aimed to develop age- and sex-specific reference data for jumping mechanography measures in Canadian children and adolescents.

Data from over 3000 children and adolescents (50.0% females) aged 6-20 years were obtained from the Canadian Health Measures Survey cycles 5 and 6 (2016-2019), a national, cross-sectional, population-based study. Muscle function was measured using the Leonardo Mechanograph Ground Reaction Force Plate through the single two-legged jump (S2LJ) and multiple two-legged hopping (M2LH) tests. Reference data were generated for maximum power, maximum power relative to body mass, maximum jump height, and maximum jump velocity from the S2LJ, and maximum force as well as maximum force relative to body weight from the M2LH.

Male and female results were similar at age 6 years. However, males experienced greater increases in muscle function compared to females (e.g., the median result for maximum power in the S2LJ increased by 441% from age 6 to 16 years in males vs 297% in females). In males all outcome measures continued to increase to age 20 years, whereas in females absolute force and power plateaued after the age of 16 years. Body mass dependent outcome measures decreased slightly in females after 16 years of age, due to rising body mass.

This study provides the largest jumping mechanography reference dataset to date, aimed at helping clinicians assess muscle function and evaluate musculoskeletal health in children and adolescents.