Can the Neuromuscular Performance of Young Athletes Be Influenced by Hormone Levels and Different Stages of Puberty?

Paulo Francisco de Almeida-Neto, Dihogo Gama de Matos, Vanessa Carla Monteiro Pinto, Paulo Moreira Silva Dantas, Tatianny de Macêdo Cesário, Luíz Felipe da Silva, Alexandre Bulhões-Correia, Felipe José Aidar and Breno Guilherme de Araújo Tinôco Cabral
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Paulo Francisco de Almeida-Neto: Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59078-970, Brazil
Dihogo Gama de Matos: Group of Studies and Research of Performance, Sport, Healt and Paralympic Sports GEPEPS, the Federal University of Sergipe—UFS, São Cristovão 49100-000, Brazil
Vanessa Carla Monteiro Pinto: Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59078-970, Brazil
Paulo Moreira Silva Dantas: Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59078-970, Brazil
Tatianny de Macêdo Cesário: Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59078-970, Brazil
Luíz Felipe da Silva: Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59078-970, Brazil
Alexandre Bulhões-Correia: Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59078-970, Brazil
Felipe José Aidar: Group of Studies and Research of Performance, Sport, Healt and Paralympic Sports GEPEPS, the Federal University of Sergipe—UFS, São Cristovão 49100-000, Brazil
Breno Guilherme de Araújo Tinôco Cabral: Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59078-970, Brazil

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 16, 1-16

Abstract: Background: Endocrine mechanisms can be a determining factor in the neuromuscular performance of young athletes. Objective: The objective of the present study was to relate maturational and hormonal markers to neuromuscular performance, as well as to verify whether young athletes with different testosterone levels show differences in muscle strength. Methods: The sample consisted of 37 young male Brazilian athletes (11.3 ± 0.94 years) who were members of a sports initiation project. Hormonal markers were analyzed biochemically by blood samples, and maturation markers by mathematical models based on anthropometry. Body composition was verified by tetrapolar bioimpedance. The performance of upper and lower limb strength and body speed were analyzed. Results: Hormonal and maturational markers were related to neuromuscular performance ( p < 0.05). Young people with higher testosterone levels showed higher muscle strength ( p < 0.05). Artificial neural networks showed that testosterone predicted the performance of upper limbs by 49%, and maturation by 60%. Maturation foreshadowed the performance of lower limbs by 30.3%. Conclusion: Biological maturation and hormonal levels can be related to neuromuscular performance, and young people with higher testosterone levels show superior muscle strength in relation to the others.

Keywords: testosterone; estradiol; sports performance; young athletes; puberty (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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