Although the overall number of sedentary children in the country is staggering, more and more adolescents are actually participating in sports.
Teens Taking up Sports
To augment their performance in sports they engage in weight training. Already practicing and competing in their sports, is it beneficial for young kids to add strength training to their physical activities?
Several scientific studies show that children and adolescents do in fact benefit from strength training. Adolescents can gain a significant amount of neuromuscular strength, possibly due to increases in neuromuscular coordination and activation (1, 2, 3, 6). Muscular size increase, however, is not significant at their ages because the status of endogenous androgen (the body’s natural hormones) during this period is not optimal for muscular growth (2).
Some of the main benefits (among many) of increasing strength are improvement in motor qualities for various sports and lower risk of injuries in contact and non-contact sports. This increases the child’s athleticism and confidence.
How About Teens Not Participating in Sports?
Adolescents not directly involved in sports may also benefit from strength training. Increased strength may improve motor qualities in activities of daily living. Also, just as it reduces the risk of athletic injuries, strength can reduce the general risk of injuries for the non-athlete. Further, strength training can establish a physical and psychological foundation for habitual physical activities as these kids mature into adults. One study also reveals positive effects of strength training on the emotional well-being and the body image of females (all test variables improved significantly after strength training twice per week for 15 weeks) (4). And perhaps the most important reason for any young person to participate in strength training is to develop a life-time habit of health and fitness in order to reverse the sedentary trend America has witnessed in recent times. These children set an example for future generations.
What about Injuries, or Stunted Growth?
Many adults, especially parents, are concerned with the effect that resistance training may have on the growing adolescent. Some fear that, among other injuries, the growth plates at the ends of long bones may close prematurely, which results in stunted growth. However, given proper supervision and appropriate program design, adolescents participating in resistance training do not appear to be at any greater risk for injuries than those who don’t participate in such training (2, 3). Other research shows that a supervised resistance program does not adversely affect bone, muscle, or growth plates — nor does it adversely affect growth, development, flexibility, or motor performance (5, 9).
It has been shown, however, that some adolescent athletes may be at risk for delayed physical maturation when intense training (of any type) is combined with insufficient nutrient and caloric intake. Once training intensity decreases and caloric intake increases, “catch-up” growth commonly occurs and adult stature is not compromised (9). A perceptive and skillful coach or trainer (or even parent) should be able to observe any sign that may indicate too much training intensity and not enough caloric in-take, and then modify the activity, mostly by way of a temporary reduction of it.
Does Resistance Training Place High Forces on the Growing Body?
The force created as the body moves against the ground (such as running and jumping) is called ground reaction force, or GRF. GRF is measured on a mechanical device commonly called a force plate. This force is transmitted through the body, and thus through its joints. Measured ground reaction forces are often found to be far higher in sports involving jumping and landing than in resistance training. Furthermore, sports that don’t involve jumping activities have been found to also produce forces that exceed those of resistance training (8). Therefore, common sporting activities (whether or not jumping is involved) as well as innocent playground activities may produce ground reaction forces higher than does resistance training. It may be wise then to utilize resistance training to prepare the body for the many forces that are naturally encountered in sports and in life.
Considering the collective scientific data on the multiple benefits and safety of resistance training for the adolescent, it only makes sense to involve the child in a weight training program that may develop his/her motor skills, promote injury prevention, improve self-esteem and increase athleticism.
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It is also a good idea to seek a skillful strength and conditioning coach or personal trainer to develop a strengthening program for the child because proper instructions on biomechanics to teach movement skills have been found to greatly improve benefits and safety (7).
Johnny N. Nguyen B.Sc., USAW. Johnny is an Olympic Weightlifting coach and a director of several strength and conditioning programs for young competitive athletes in the Los Altos, California, area. He also trains the adult population, ranging from general to amateur athletes. In the past he has competed in bodybuilding competitions and is now focusing on competing in Olympic Weightlifting.
References
- Ozmun, J.C., Mikesky, A.E., Surburg, P.R. (1994) Neuromuscular adaptation following prepubescent strength training. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 26(4):510-4
- Guy, J.A., Micheli, L.J. (2001) Strength training for children and adolescents. J Am Acad Ortho Surg, 9(1):29-36
- Lillegard, W.A., Brown E.W., Wilson, D.J., Henderson, R., Lewis, E. (1997) Efficacy of strength training in prebubescent to early postpubescent males and females: effects of gender and maturity. Pediatr Rehabil, 1(3):147-57
- Tucker, L.A., Maxwell, K. (1992) Effects of weight training on the emotional well-being and body image of females: predictors of greatest benefit. Am J Health Promot, 6(5):338-44, 371
- Rians, C.B., Weltman, A., Cahill, B.R., Janney, C.A., Tippett, S.R., Katch, F.I. (1987) Strength training for prebubescent males: is it safe? Am J Sports Med, 15(5):483-9
- Sewall, L., Micheli, L.J. (1986) Strength training for children. J Pediatr Ortho, 6(2):143-6
- Prapavessis, H., McNair, P.J. (1999) Effects of instruction in jumping technique and experience jumping on ground reaction forces. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther, 29(6):352-6
- McNair, P.J., Prapavessis, H. (1999) Normative data of vertical ground reaction forces during landing from a jump, J Sci Med Sport, 2(1):86-8
- Daly, R.D., Bass, S. Cain, D., Howe, W. (2002) Does training affect growth? The Phys SportsMed, Vol 30 – No.10, Oct.
