Strength Training for the Youth Athlete
“It is a shame for someone to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which their body is capable.”
Strength training for youth and adolescent athletes has been a controversial topic for quite some time, as the erroneous stigma remains that it is unsafe for the population to partake in at the expense of injury, growth, and development. At Fortitude, we firmly believe that appropriately dosed and individually tailored strength and conditioning is for everyone, including youth athletes. The World Health Organization recognizes physical inactivity as the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality for non-communicable diseases, and supports participation in a variety of physical activities including strength training. Strength training is a safe and effective component in developing life-long healthy habits for our youth athletes.
Misconceptions about resistance training for youth athletes
It will stunt growth.
It will increase the risk of injury.
It will damage growth plates.
Athletes will lose flexibility.
Despite the fact that these folk-beliefs are unfounded in scientific evidence, they continue to be pervasive in our society. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a position statement in 2008 dispelling these myths.
Benefits of resistance training for youth athletes
Injury risk reduction
This meta-analysis by Lauersen et al in 2014 suggests that strength training may reduce the risk of sport-related injury by 1/3.
The 2014 International Consensus on Youth Resistance Training proposes that multi-faceted resistance training programs improve strength, sport-related mechanics, sport-specific abilities, and appear to be the most effective strategy for decreasing sport-related injuries in youth athletes.
Bone health
This study by Duplantly et al from 2018 suggests that athletes (distance runners) who participate in resistance-based training programs have greater bone mineral density than their competitive and non-competitive counterparts.
The 2014 International Consensus on Youth Resistance Training states that childhood and adolescence are key developmental periods for increasing bone-mineral density. Failure to participate in moderate-to-vigorous weight-bearing physical activity during these stages of growth may pre-dispose individuals to long-term bone-health implications throughout the lifespan.
decreased body fat %
improved blood-lipid profile
low muscular strength was recognized as a risk factor for major causes of death, including those related to cardiovascular disease. It has been reported that muscular strength, endurance, and power in youth aged 9–15 years were inversely associated with cardiovascular disease risk. Improving muscular strength and power may protect against cardiovascular disease independently of cardiorespiratory fitness. These findings emphasize the importance of age-related interventions to enhance muscular strength across the lifespan.
Healthy habit-building for life
It is likely that improvements in muscle strength and motor skill performance with age-related interventions during the growing years helps facilitate the establishment of desired behaviors and provide an optimal mechanism for promoting physical activity as an ongoing lifestyle choice.
Improved psychological well-being
improved self-efficacy and initiative
improved self-concept, or sense of identity
improved social skills
improved mood
improved ability to set goals
Current recommendations for resistance training youth athletes
focus on technical proficiency vs load
utilize an appropriate variety of exercises (based on the athletes training age, or experience) to help promote motor skill development in accordance to the Long Term Athletic Development Model.
2-3 sessions per week ≥ 30 minutes per session
keep it FUN
If you want to get keep your athletes healthy, get them involved in a structured resistance training program with help from a trained professional (physical therapists and/or strength and conditioning coach). If you have questions about getting youth athletes involved in resistance training, especially if you’re in the Chamblee or northeast Atlanta area, feel free to give us a call or email us directly. If you’re not in the Atlanta area, try checking out the ClinicalAthlete directory to find the nearest qualified clinician or coach.
In strength,