PROSPECTIVE STUDY OF SOME PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES IN YOUNG ATHLETES

摘要

Performance measures are used to identify sports-specific profiles in athletes. Combining positional play skill sets with tailored training routines allows coaches to maximize athletic potential of junior athletes while reducing risk of injury or developmental delay. Methodologies have included assessing a range of generic anthropometric and biomotor variables and discriminant analysis of a non-sport-specific generic testing batteries. Recent focus has centered on the use of computerized posturography (CP) to measure postural stability and analyze lower limb power during explosive motor actions in athletes. Correlations have been made between both injury prediction and performance levels and postural stability using force platform technology. Maximum Vertical Jump (MVJ) is considered a highly significant performance indicator in most elite sports testing protocols and is recognized as a physical indicator of whole-body power efficiency across elite junior and adult levels. In this prospective study, MVJ efficiency measured using computerized posturography was obtained in two groups of athletes (male adolescents and female adults) and their athletic career followed over the years to determine if it could be utilized as an indicator of future performance. Results indicate that it might be worth further investigating the use of CP technology in sports performance testing and screening of young athletes when considering sports-specific skills assessment and training injury prevention.