title: Maturity status in male child and adolescent athletes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Early-maturing individuals may be at an advantage in some sports. The purpose of this study was to compare maturity status between competitive male child (10-12 years old) and adolescent (14-16 years old) athletes and minimally-active, age-matched controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 224 males were included in the study. Children (n=115) included minimally-active boys (n=34), soccer players (n=26), gymnasts (n=25) and hockey players (n=30). Adolescents (n=109) included minimally-active adolescents (n=31), soccer players (n=30), gymnasts (n=17) and hockey players (n=31). Sexual maturity was assessed using secondary sex characteristics and salivary testosterone concentration (sT). Skeletal age was also assessed, using quantitative ultrasound (Sunlight BonAgeTM).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Within each age group, no differences were observed between sport groups in chronological age, sT or pubertal age. In children, hockey players were more skeletally mature (12.43±1.36 years) than all other groups (11.0±1.0; 11.6±1.4 and 11.7±1.4 years for soccer, gymnasts and controls, respectively). In adolescents, hockey players and gymnasts had higher skeletal maturity (16.8±1.5 and 16.9±1.6 years, respectively; P<0.05) than controls (15.99±1.13 years).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While sexual and hormonal maturity does not appear to differ between similar-aged athletes of different sports, the results suggest greater skeletal maturity in hockey players, even before puberty.
authors: Department of Physical Eduction and Kinesiology, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences Brock University, St Catharines, ON, Canada. bfalk@brocku.ca
authors: S A
authors: SA
authors: Moore
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Moore
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Klentrou
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Sullivan
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Falk
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D056352:Athletes; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology; D001846:Bone Development / Q000502:physiology*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone