Patterns of physical performance spurts during adolescence: a cross-cultural study of Canadian, Brazilian and Portuguese boys

Abstract

Background: Data relating physical performance to the timing of the adolescent growth spurt are limited. Aim: This study identifies: (i) age-at-peak height velocity (APHV), (ii) physical performance spurt patterns aligned to APHV; and (iii) cross-cultural and time patterns in Canadian, Brazilian and Portuguese boys. Subjects and methods: A total of 512 boys (131 Canadian, 250 Portuguese and 131 Brazilian), 8-17 years of age were followed serially using longitudinal data. APHV was identified and five physical performance measures velocities [trunk extension (TE), trunk flexion (TF), standing long jump (SLJ), curl-ups (CU) and handgrip strength (HG)] were aligned at 6-month intervals, 4 years around the attainment of PHV. Velocities were estimated using a non-smooth mathematical procedure. Results: APHV was 13.9 ± 1.0, 13.4 ± 1.6 and 13.0 ± 0.8 years for Canadian, Brazilian and Portuguese boys, respectively. Maximal velocity in SLJ was attained between 12 and 6 months prior to PHV. For HG, peaks were attained 12-24 months after PHV. Maximal velocity in TE occurred between 12 and 0 months prior to PHV, while CU peaked between PHV and 6 months after PHV. Conclusion: Patterns of spurts in physical performance have remained relatively the same and do not appear to be influenced by cross-cultural differences.

Edad del estirón puberal en altura en niños, niñas y adolescentes de Huila, Colombia

“…13 de Onis et al, 14 and WHO Multicentre Growth Reference Study Group. 15 In relation to what has been described in international studies, the APHV of children in Huila (12.9 years) is found to be: (i) between 0.8 and 1.4 years below that reported for this population in the United States (13.8 and 13.70 years), 34,35 Canada (13.9 years), 36 India (14.3 years), 37 Switzerland (13.9 years), 38 England (14.12 and 13.91 years), 39,40 and Brazil (13.9 years); 41 (ii) between 0.1 and 0.5 years below that reported in Canadian (13.4 years), 42,43 Brazilian (13.4 years), 36 Portuguese (13.0 and 13.4 years), 43,44 and Japanese (13.0 years) children; 45 and (iii) between 0.4 and 0.7 years above that reported in Brazilian (12.5 years) 46 and Japanese (12.2 years) children. 47 In the case of girls, APVH (10.5 years) is found to be: (i) between 1.5 and 2.0 years below that reported for this population in the United States (12.5 years), 34 India (12.4 years), 37 Switzerland (12.2 years), 48 and England (11.99 years); 39 (ii) between 0.7 and 1.4 years below that reported for girls in England (12 years), 40 Canada (11.8 and 11.7 years), 42,43 United States (11.6 years), 35 Japan (11.2 years), 45 Brazil (11.6 years), 41 and Poland (11.9 years); 9 (iii) 0.2 years above that of Japanese girls (10.3 years); 47 and (iv) similar to that reported for Brazilian girls (10.5 years).…”

Muscular Strength Spurts in Adolescent Male Basketball Players: The INEX Study

“…Comparable results were only available for non-athletic boys from Portugal and Brazil. Guimarães et al [10] identified peaks in handgrip strength coincident and 12 months after-PHV (intensity = 6.1 and 6.1 kgf•year −1 , respectively), whereas Silva et al [11] found it 9 to 12 months also after-PHV (intensity = 8.4 and 8.2 kgf•year −1 , respectively). Similar timings, after-PHV, were reported in other populations of adolescent males, although using different static strength markers [2,14].…”

“…This method was initially proposed by Van't Hof et al [23] and subsequently used by Beunen et al [2], Yagüe and De La Fuente [13], and Philippaerts et al [15]. A mathematical generalization of this methodology was developed and used by our research group [10,11]. We developed mean velocity curves and defined these in terms of time (i.e., months before and after-PHV).…”

“…Published reports on developmental spurts in muscular strength mostly focus on non-athletic populations and vary in timing and intensity when aligned to years-from-PHV. For example, in standing long jump (a marker of explosive leg strength) the peak spurt occurred 12 months before-PHV (intensity = 22.3 cm•year −1 ) in a group of boys from Portugal [10], 6 months before-PHV (intensity = 28.5 cm•year −1 ) in boys from Brazil [11], was concurrent with PHV (intensity = 15.0 cm•year −1 ) in boys from Canada [12], but in boys from Spain, a plateau was reported between PHV and 12 months post-PHV (intensity = 21.0-22.0 cm•year −1 ) [13]. A similar level of variation in timing and intensity is reported in other measures of muscular strength such as sit-ups, handgrip and arm pull [2,[10][11][12][13][14].…”

Cross-cultural comparisons of motor competence in southern Brazilian and Portuguese schoolchildren

“…The literature shows that cultural diversity should be considered when trying to understand how children develop MC across ages 17,21 . A wide range of studies has compared different motor components in children around the world [22][23][24] , and there is a growing body of research trying to compare children in different countries and regions 17,21,[25][26][27] . Bardid and colleagues 17 evaluated the MC of Australian and Belgium children between 6 and 8 years of age showing that Belgium children outperform Australians on jumping sideways, moving sideways, and hopping for height.…”