Movement competency and measures of isometric and dynamic strength and power in boys of different maturity status

Abstract

An understanding of how movement competency, strength, and power interacts with natural growth and maturation is required in order to determine meaningful changes with developing athletes. Isometric and dynamic testing in youth athletes provide insight into the natural development of the force‐velocity (F‐V) spectrum. Two‐hundred and six young male athletes, aged 9‐17 years of age were grouped according to stage of maturation based on their maturity offset which was determined as number of years from peak height velocity (PHV). All participants performed the back‐squat assessment (BSA), isometric mid‐thigh pull (IMTP), countermovement jump (CMJ) and squat jump (SJ) tests. Absolute and scaled force‐time variables were collected from the IMTP, CMJ, and SJ. No significant differences were observed between maturational groups for squat movement competency (p > 0.05). One‐way ANOVA with Bonferroni post‐hoc analysis revealed that increasing maturity led to significant, moderate to large increases in allometrically scaled peak force (PFallo) for all tests (p < 0.05). Multiple stepwise linear regression models revealed IMTP PFallo significantly predicted 34.8% and 41.3% of variance in SJ and CMJ jump height, respectively (p < 0.05). Natural growth and maturation induces positive adaptations to movement competency as well as isometric and dynamic strength and power. Trends from the IMTP, SJ, and CMJ tests indicate the largest differences in strength and power may occur around the adolescent growth spurt despite the large variation in rates of change within the circa‐PHV group.