Youth Resistance Training: Updated Position Statement

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The below seems relevant:

Youth resistance training: Updated position statement paper from the National

Strength and Conditioning Association.

Faigenbaum, AD, Kraemer, WJ, Blimkie, CJR, s, I, Micheli, LJ, Nitka, M,

and Rowland, TW.

J Strength Cond Res XX(x): 000-000, 2009-Current recommendations suggest that

school-aged youth should participate daily in 60 minutes or more of moderate to

vigorous physical activity that is developmentally appropriate and enjoyable and

involves a variety of activities (219). Not only is regular physical activity

essential for normal growth and development, but also a physically active

lifestyle during the pediatric years may help to reduce the risk of developing

some chronic diseases later in life (196). In addition to aerobic activities

such as swimming and bicycling, research increasingly indicates that resistance

training can offer unique benefits for children and adolescents when

appropriately prescribed and supervised (28,66,111,139,147,234). The qualified

acceptance of youth resistance training by medical, fitness, and sport

organizations is becoming universal (5,6,8,12,18,33,104,167,192,215).

Nowadays, comprehensive school-based programs are specifically designed to

enhance health-related components of physical fitness, which include muscular

strength (169). In addition, the health club and sport conditioning industry is

getting more involved in the youth fitness market. In the U.S.A., the number of

health club members between the ages of 6 and 17 years continues to increase

(127,252) and a growing number of private sport conditioning centers now cater

to young athletes. Thus, as more children and adolescents resistance train in

schools, health clubs, and sport training centers, it is imperative to determine

safe, effective, and enjoyable practices by which resistance training can

improve the health, fitness, and sports performance of younger populations.

The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) recognizes and

supports the premise that many of the benefits associated with adult resistance

training programs are attainable by children and adolescents who follow

age-specific resistance training guidelines. The NSCA published the first

position statement paper on youth resistance training in 1985 (170) and revised

this statement in 1996 (72). The purpose of the present report is to update and

clarify the 1996 recommendations on 4 major areas of importance. These topics

include (a) the potential risks and concerns associated with youth resistance

training, ( the potential health and fitness benefits of youth resistance

training, © the types and amount of resistance training needed by healthy

children and adolescents, and (d) program design considerations for optimizing

long-term training adaptations. The NSCA based this position statement paper on

a comprehensive analysis of the pertinent scientific evidence regarding the

anatomical, physiological, and psychosocial effects of youth resistance

training. An expert panel of exercise scientists, physicians, and

health/physical education teachers with clinical, practical, and research

expertise regarding issues related to pediatric exercise science, sports

medicine, and resistance training contributed to this statement. The NSCA

Research Committee reviewed this report before the formal endorsement by the

NSCA.

For the purpose of this article, the term children refers to boys and girls who

have not yet developed secondary sex characteristics (approximately up to the

age of 11 years in girls and 13 years in boys; Tanner stages 1 and 2 of sexual

maturation). This period of development is referred to as preadolescence. The

term adolescence refers to a period between childhood and adulthood and includes

girls aged 12-18 years and boys aged 14-18 years (Tanner stages 3 and 4 of

sexual maturation). The terms youth and young athletes are broadly defined in

this report to include both children and adolescents.

By definition, the term resistance training refers to a specialized method of

conditioning, which involves the progressive use of a wide range of resistive

loads and a variety of training modalities designed to enhance health, fitness,

and sports performance. Although the term resistance training, strength

training, and weight training are sometimes used synonymously, the term

resistance training encompasses a broader range of training modalities and a

wider variety of training goals. The term weightlifting refers to a competitive

sport that involves the performance of the snatch and clean and jerk lifts.

This article builds on previous recommendations from the NSCA and should serve

as the prevailing statement regarding youth resistance training. It is the

current position of the NSCA that:

1. A properly designed and supervised resistance training program is relatively

safe for youth.

2. A properly designed and supervised resistance training program can enhance

the muscular strength and power of youth.

3. A properly designed and supervised resistance training program can improve

the cardiovascular risk profile of youth.

4. A properly designed and supervised resistance training program can improve

motor skill performance and may contribute to enhanced sports performance of

youth.

5. A properly designed and supervised resistance training program can increase a

young athlete & apos;s resistance to sports-related injuries.

6. A properly designed and supervised resistance training program can help

improve the psychosocial well-being of youth.

7. A properly designed and supervised resistance training program can help

promote and develop exercise habits during childhood and adolescence.

© 2009 National Strength and Conditioning

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Carruthers

Wakefield, UK