Adolescent growth is not associated with changes in flexibility.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether adolescent growth is associated with a decrease in flexibility.


METHODS
Longitudinal cohort study of urban high school students.


METHODS
Flexibility of hamstring muscles (popliteal angle), quadriceps muscles (quadriceps angle), lumbar extensor muscles (Schober test), and combined lower extremity-trunk muscles (Sit and Reach test).


RESULTS
There was no relation between growth and changes in flexibility for the lumbar flexor muscles, hamstring muscles, or muscles involved in the Sit and Reach test. Although there was a slight decrease in flexibility of the quadriceps muscle with increases in growth, the very low r2adj value (0.01-0.06) strongly suggests that growth plays only a small role in determining the flexibility of individuals.


CONCLUSIONS
These results strongly suggest that growth is not a cause of decreased flexibility during the peripubescent period.
Feldman
D
D
Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Community Studies, Sir Mortimer B. Davis-Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Shrier
I
I
Rossignol
M
M
Abenhaim
L
L
D000293:Adolescent / Q000502:physiology*; D001415:Back / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006128:Growth / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D010809:Physical Fitness; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013848:Thigh / Q000502:physiology