Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40222020›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of sport science2025

Is Maturational Growth More Influential than Training Engagement in Longitudinal Adolescent Physical Performance Development?

Shaun Abbott, Marie Javet, Stephen Bested, Daniel Hackett, Michael Romann, Stephen Cobley

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in European journal of sport science, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Shaun AbbottDiscipline of Exercise & Sport Science, Faculty of Medicine & Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6111-1033
Marie JavetSwiss Federal Institute of Sport, Magglingen, Switzerland.
Stephen BestedSchool of Medicine, The University of Notre Dame, Darlinghurst, Australia.
Daniel HackettDiscipline of Exercise & Sport Science, Faculty of Medicine & Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Michael RomannSwiss Federal Institute of Sport, Magglingen, Switzerland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4139-2955
Stephen CobleyDiscipline of Exercise & Sport Science, Faculty of Medicine & Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.

Funding

University of Sydney Special Studies Program
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Athlete development is considered a multi-factorial and dynamic overtime process. Thus, understanding what factors and behavioural activities contribute most to development is important. The present study examined longitudinal relationships between training time and maturity status with physical performance indices in youth volleyball players. Prospective mixed longitudinal tracking over 3 years. Participants were N = 78 selected male volleyball players, aged 11-15 years (M = 13.81, SD = 1.20 years) from N = 41 competitive Swiss clubs. Alongside coach-reported weekly training time, participants completed standardised anthropometric and physical performance tests (e.g., standing long jump [SLJ]; 9-3-6-3-9 agility sprint). Linear mixed models (LMM) examined longitudinal independent and interacting relationships between training time and maturity status (years from peak height velocity; PHV) with physical performance. For SLJ, both training time and maturity status explained curvilinear longitudinal performance development, but nonlinear maturation status interactions were most influential, moderating relationships. In agility sprint, similar trends were apparent, with training time influences diminishing when maturity status was added in LMM analyses. Across time points of maturational growth, increased training engagement was not associated with enhanced physical performance benefits, whereas maturational status progression better accounted for performance differences and development. For coaches and sports-science practitioners, findings question the rationale for heightened training engagement at circa-PHV directed towards physical performance development purposes, a recommendation aligned with the need for maturational-growth associated injury prevention. Instead, due to musculoskeletal and proprioceptive disturbance during maturational growth, training emphasis on technical/biomechanical skill acquisition remains important.

Indexed as

Adolescent DevelopmentAthletic PerformancePhysical Conditioning, HumanVolleyballAdolescentChildHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleProspective Studiesathlete developmentcoachinginter‐individual differencesperformance evaluationtalent identification

Identifiers

PMID40222020
PMCPMC11994115

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.