Integrative Training for Children and Adolescents: Techniques and Practices for Reducing Sports-Related Injuries and Enhancing Athletic Performance

Abstract

As more children and adolescents participate in sports and conditioning activities (sometimes without consideration for cumulative workload), it is important to establish age-appropriate training guidelines that may reduce the risk of sports-related injury and enhance athletic performance. The purpose of this article is to review the scientific evidence on youth strength and conditioning and to provide age-appropriate recommendations for integrating different strength and conditioning activities into a well-designed program that is safe, effective, and enjoyable. Integrative training is defined as a program or plan that incorporates general and specific strength and conditioning activities that enhance both health- and skill-related components of physical fitness. The cornerstone of integrative training is age-appropriate education and instruction by qualified professionals who understand the physical and psychosocial uniqueness of children and adolescents.

Long-Term Athletic Development- Part 1

“…The development of movement compe-tency is characterized by an early bias towards enhancing fundamental movement skills with a transition over time towards a greater emphasis on sport-specific skills. Early exposure to resistance training is supported by research, which shows that muscular strength development from resistance training can enhance physical performance (29), improve markers of health and well-being (such as insulinsensitivity (47) and levels of adiposity (8)) in active and inactive youth, and reduce the risk of sports-related injury ( 17,35,38,55). Additionally, movement skill competency is associated with physical activity engagement and improved measures of health and well-being in both normal and over-weight/obese youth (11,28,32).…”

“…The interest in the health, fitness, and well-being of modern day youth seems to be at an all time high, with increasing concerns over the prevalence of physical inactivity, childhood obesity and its association with the development of noncommunicable disease ( 16,26,41, Additionally, increasing participation rates in organized youth sports ( 25,38) and greater numbers of youth member-ships within health and fitness clubs ( 27,61) demonstrate that there is a growing interest in enhancing the health and fitness of children and adolescents ( 39). As a conse-quence of these combined interests, the concept of structur-ing long-term approaches for youth physical development has gained attention in recent times.…”

Did the NFL Lockout Expose the Achilles Heel of Competitive Sports?

“…Integrative strength and conditioning programs are becoming recognized as a necessary component to help ensure safe sport participation in youth. 10,11 Due to the demonstrable positive effects of a priori injury prevention training, this type of preparatory conditioning is indicated for inclusion in a comprehensive preseason program for all aspiring young athletes. The importance of preseason training has been further highlighted by the Centers for Disease Control and colleagues.…”

Factores físicos y cognitivos involucrados en la práctica del kartismo en niños y niñas, implicaciones para la evaluación y el entrenamiento

“…Aunque el ejercicio en niños y adolescentes tiene un papel importante en la autoestima y la autoimagen, así como en la depresión y la ansiedad 20,21,22 , una prácti-ca tan altamente competitiva si no se maneja adecuadamente puede generar precisamente lo contrario. Por tal razón constituye una obligación tanto para los entrenadores como para los miembros del equipo médico el ayudar a reducir los riesgos de lesiones relacionadas con las prácticas deportivas y optimizar su ejecución, en particular en la población escolar y adolescente 23,24,25,26,27 .…”