[Utilisation of a questionnaire of fatigue in sport children: effect of sport, age and gender].

In children, fatigue induced by regular sport activity with important training sessions and competitions is still difficult to objective. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the fatigue induced by intensive training, with an auto-questionnaire of fatigue specially elaborated for sport children aged in 8 to 16 year-old, and the incidence of age, sex and the type of sport practiced. A study was conducted on 780 auto-questionnaires (QFES) distributed to 581 children, during 24 months in France (Rhône-Alpes-Auvergne). Results to the QFES are equivalent between sedentary and sport children. For 84.1% of them, no significant sign of fatigue was detected. No age effect has be seen, but girls presented a greater score of fatigue (+5.5%) compared to boys. When considering the specificity of sport, sex difference disappeared. On the contrary, in children with elevated score of fatigue, three domains were principally affected: physical signs, symptoms and motivation. The results obtained in this study assess the relevance of this questionnaire in evaluating sport induced fatigue. Prevention should mainly focus in sport children, in order to reduce potential risks of a sport activity practiced in exhausting conditions.