Evidence for a reduction of growth potential in adolescent female gymnasts

Details

Serval ID
serval:BIB_FBB486428C39
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Evidence for a reduction of growth potential in adolescent female gymnasts
Journal
Journal of Pediatrics
Author(s)
Theintz  G. E., Howald  H., Weiss  U., Sizonenko  P. C.
ISSN
0022-3476 (Print)
Publication state
Published
Issued date
02/1993
Volume
122
Number
2
Pages
306-13
Notes
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't --- Old month value: Feb
Abstract
The goal of this prospective study was to assess whether intensive physical training during puberty could alter the growth potential of adolescent female athletes. Height, sitting height, leg length, weight, body fat, and pubertal stage of 22 gymnasts aged 12.3 +/- 0.2 years (mean +/- SEM), with an average training period of 22 hr/wk, and of 21 swimmers aged 12.3 +/- 0.3 years (average training period 8 hr/wk) were recorded half-yearly for a mean period of 2.35 years (range 2.0 to 3.7 years). Adult height predictions were performed with the methods of Bayley and Pinneau; Roche, Wainer, and Thissen, and Tanner et al. Growth velocity of gymnasts was significantly lower than that of swimmers from 11 to 13 years of bone age (p < 0.05), with a mean peak height velocity of 5.48 +/- 0.32 cm/yr versus 8.0 +/- 0.50 cm/yr for swimmers. Height standard deviation score decreased significantly in gymnasts with time (r = -0.747; p < 0.001). This observation was not associated with a significant alteration of chronologic age/bone age ratio. By contrast, height standard deviation score remained unchanged in swimmers (r = -0.165; p = 0.1). A marked stunting of leg-length growth was observed in gymnasts from 12 years of bone age, resulting in a marked difference in overall sitting-height/leg-length ratio (gymnasts 1.054 +/- 0.005 vs swimmers 1.100 +/- 0.005; p < 0.001). Concomitantly, predicted height of gymnasts decreased significantly with time (Tanner et al.: r = 0.63, p < 0.001; Bayley-Pinneau: r = 0.44, p < 0.001), whereas those of swimmers did not change. We conclude that heavy training in gymnastics (> 18 hr/wk), starting before puberty and maintained throughout puberty, can alter growth rate to such an extent that full adult height will not be reached. The mechanisms underlying these observations are not settled; we suggest that prolonged inhibition of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis by exercise, together with or because of the metabolic effects of dieting, is responsible for them.
Keywords
Adolescent Age Determination by Skeleton Age Factors Body Height Child Female Follow-Up Studies Growth/*physiology Gymnastics/*physiology Humans Leg/anatomy & histology Menarche/physiology Physical Education and Training Prospective Studies Puberty/*physiology Swimming/physiology
Pubmed
Web of science
Create date
25/01/2008 10:31
Last modification date
20/08/2019 16:26
Usage data