Maturation leads to gender differences in landing force and vertical jump performance: a longitudinal study.
BACKGROUND
Female athletes have increased risk of anterior cruciate ligament rupture after the onset of puberty.


OBJECTIVE
Male athletes would demonstrate a longitudinal increase in vertical jump height compared with female athletes. There would be longitudinal gender differences in ground-reaction forces and loading rates.


METHODS
Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.


METHODS
Sixteen female and 17 male adolescent athletes were evaluated for 2 consecutive years. Subjects were included if they were classified as pubertal during the first year of testing and postpubertal during the second year. As subjects performed a drop vertical jump, ground-reaction force, and vertical jump height were measured. Data analysis consisted of a mixed design analysis of variance with post hoc analysis (paired t tests).


RESULTS
The male athletes demonstrated increased vertical jump height with maturation (P < .001); female athletes did not. Boys significantly reduced their landing ground-reaction force (P = .005), whereas girls did not. Takeoff force decreased in girls (P = .003) but not in boys. Both boys and girls had decreased loading rates with maturation (P < .001); however, girls had higher loading rates than did boys at both stages of maturation (P = .037).


CONCLUSIONS
Male athletes demonstrated a neuromuscular spurt as evidenced by increased vertical jump height and increased ability to attenuate landing force. The absence of similar adaptations in female athletes may be related to the increased risk of anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Quatman
Carmen E
CE
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Research Foundation Sports Medicine Biodynamics Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA.
Ford
Kevin R
KR
Myer
Gregory D
GD
Hewett
Timothy E
TE
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000209:etiology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000209:etiology*; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D011187:Posture; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012737:Sex Factors; D013177:Sports; D013997:Time Factors