title: Relative age effects in athletic sprinting and corrective adjustments as a solution for their removal.
abstract: Relative Age Effects (RAEs) refer to the selection and performance differentials between children and youth who are categorized in annual-age groups. In the context of Swiss 60m athletic sprinting, 7761 male athletes aged 8 - 15 years were analysed, with this study examining whether: (i) RAE prevalence changed across annual age groups and according to performance level (i.e., all athletes, Top 50%, 25% & 10%); (ii) whether the relationship between relative age and performance could be quantified, and corrective adjustments applied to test if RAEs could be removed. Part one identified that when all athletes were included, typical RAEs were evident, with smaller comparative effect sizes, and progressively reduced with older age groups. However, RAE effect sizes increased linearly according to performance level (i.e., all athletes - Top 10%) regardless of age group. In part two, all athletes born in each quartile, and within each annual age group, were entered into linear regression analyses. Results identified that an almost one year relative age difference resulted in mean expected performance differences of 10.1% at age 8, 8.4% at 9, 6.8% at 10, 6.4% at 11, 6.0% at 12, 6.3% at 13, 6.7% at 14, and 5.3% at 15. Correction adjustments were then calculated according to day, month, quarter, and year, and used to demonstrate that RAEs can be effectively removed from all performance levels, and from Swiss junior sprinting more broadly. Such procedures could hold significant implications for sport participation as well as for performance assessment, evaluation, and selection during athlete development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Elite Sport, Swiss Federal Institute of Sport, Magglingen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Romann
authors.affiliation: Exercise & Sport Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cobley
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D056352:Athletes; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013557:Switzerland
references.citation: Br J Sports Med. 2007 May;41(5):290-5; discussion 295
references.pmid: 17224444
references.citation: Eur J Sport Sci. 2014;14 Suppl 1:S183-90
references.pmid: 24444205
references.citation: PLoS One. 2013;8(2):e57753
references.pmid: 23460902
references.citation: Sports Med. 2008;38(9):703-14
references.pmid: 18712939
references.citation: Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2010 Apr;20(2):320-9
references.pmid: 19486487
references.citation: Br J Sports Med. 2012 Dec;46(15):1038-43
references.pmid: 22976907
references.citation: J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2014 Aug;54(4):410-6
references.pmid: 25034545
references.citation: Sports Med. 2009;39(3):235-56
references.pmid: 19290678
references.citation: Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2011 Dec;21(6):e282-90
references.pmid: 21401722
references.citation: J Sports Sci. 2010 May;28(7):717-22
references.pmid: 20480428
references.citation: J Sports Sci. 2005 Jun;23(6):629-36
references.pmid: 16195011
references.citation: Eur J Sport Sci. 2013;13(5):437-44
references.pmid: 24050459
references.citation: Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 1988;16:503-40
references.pmid: 3292266
references.citation: J Sports Sci. 2005 Oct;23(10):1013-20
references.pmid: 16194978
references.citation: Percept Mot Skills. 2014 Jun;118(3):651-62
references.pmid: 25068738
references.citation: J Sports Sci. 2012;30(13):1365-74
references.pmid: 22876740
references.citation: Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2009 Oct;19(5):720-30
references.pmid: 18627551
references.citation: J Sports Sci. 2008 Dec;26(14):1531-8
references.pmid: 19040189
references.citation: J Sports Sci. 2006 Oct;24(10):1065-73
references.pmid: 17115521
references.citation: Eur J Appl Physiol. 2004 May;91(5-6):555-62
references.pmid: 14648128