Are Early or Late Maturers Likely to Be Fitter in the General Population?

Alan M. Nevill, Yassine Negra, Tony D. Myers, Michael J. Duncan, Helmi Chaabene and Urs Granacher
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Alan M. Nevill: Faculty of Education, Health and Wellbeing, University of Wolverhampton, Walsall WS1 3BD, UK
Yassine Negra: Research Unit (UR17JS01) Sports Performance, Health & Society, Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar Saîd, Universite de la Manouba, Tunis 2010, Tunisia
Tony D. Myers: Department of Social Science, Sport and Business, Sport and Health, Newman University, Birmingham B32 3NT, UK
Michael J. Duncan: Centre for Sport, Exercise and Life Sciences, Coventry University, Coventry CV1 5FB, UK
Helmi Chaabene: Division of Training and Movement Sciences, Research Focus Cognitive Sciences, University of Potsdam, Am Neuen Palais 10, 14469 Potsdam, Germany
Urs Granacher: Division of Training and Movement Sciences, Research Focus Cognitive Sciences, University of Potsdam, Am Neuen Palais 10, 14469 Potsdam, Germany

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 2, 1-16

Abstract: The present study aims to identify the optimal body-size/shape and maturity characteristics associated with superior fitness test performances having controlled for body-size, sex, and chronological-age differences. The sample consisted of 597 Tunisian children (396 boys and 201 girls) aged 8 to 15 years. Three sprint speeds recorded at 10, 20 and 30 m; two vertical and two horizontal jump tests; a change-of-direction and a handgrip-strength tests, were assessed during physical-education classes. Allometric modelling was used to identify the benefit of being an early or late maturer. Findings showed that being tall and light is the ideal shape to be successful at most physical fitness tests, but the height-to-weight “shape” ratio seems to be test-dependent. Having controlled for body-size/shape, sex, and chronological age, the model identified maturity-offset as an additional predictor. Boys who go earlier/younger through peak-height-velocity (PHV) outperform those who go at a later/older age. However, most of the girls’ physical-fitness tests peaked at the age at PHV and decline thereafter. Girls whose age at PHV was near the middle of the age range would appear to have an advantage compared to early or late maturers. These findings have important implications for talent scouts and coaches wishing to recruit children into their sports/athletic clubs.

Keywords: youth; fitness tests; allometry; body shape; biological age (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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