The influence of age and sex on speed-strength performance in children between 10 and 14 years of age

Introduction: Speed-strength performance is important during human movements such as jumping, sprinting, and change of direction (COD) tasks, which are a substantial part of sports practice. Sex and age seem to influence performance output in young persons; however, few studies have focused on the influence of sex and age measured via standard protocols of performance diagnostics. Method: Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the influence of age and sex on linear sprint (LS), COD sprint, countermovement jump (CMJ) height, squat-jump (SJ) height, and drop-jump (DJ) height performance in untrained children and adolescents via a cross-sectional analysis. This study comprised 141 untrained male and female participants 10-14 years of age. Results: The results showed the influence of age in male participants on speed-strength performance, while in female participants, age did not significantly influence performance parameters. Moderate to high correlations between sprint and jump performance (r = 0.69-0.72), sprint and COD sprint performance (r = 0.58-0.72), and jump and COD sprint performance (r = 0.56-0.58) were found. Discussion: Based on the data from this study, it appears that the growth phase of age 10-14 does not necessarily lead to improvements in athletic performance. To ensure holistic motor development, female subjects in particular should be provided with specific training interventions with a focus on strength and power.