Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, Saitama, Japan.
TOYOTA Athlete Support Center, Toyota Memorial Hospital, Toyota, Japan.
J Sports Sci. 2024 Oct;42(19):1867-1874. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2024.2416777. Epub 2024 Oct 21.
This study aimed to evaluate developmental patterns in athletic performance during youth and determine their association with changes in physical fitness. The testing included three athletic performance (i.e. ball speed in pitching, swing velocity in batting, 30-metre sprint time) and two physical fitness tests (i.e. medicine ball [MB] back throw and modified star excursion balance test [SEBT]). Data from 235 players (557 measurements) aged 6 to 14 were eligible for a longitudinal evaluation. The statistical analysis was based on the latent growth curve models of the athletic performance development process and the random-effect panel data multivariate regression analysis for ball speed, swing velocity, and 30-metre sprint time. The 30-metre sprint time showed a small curvature but an accelerated increase around 12‒13 years old. However, the ball speed, swing velocity, and modified SEBT demonstrated a slower or less accelerated change in the developmental pattern starting around 12‒13 years old. Multivariate longitudinal analysis revealed that developmental change in athletic performance was positively associated with age and MB back throw. Our findings highlight the developmental patterns of athletic performance associated with baseball exhibiting stagnation as well as acceleration, which may help develop effective age-appropriate strategies for improving performance in youth baseball players.
本研究旨在评估青少年时期运动表现的发展模式，并确定其与身体素质变化的关系。测试包括三项运动表现（即投球时的球速、击球时的挥棒速度、30 米冲刺时间）和两项身体素质测试（即药球后抛和改良版星形偏移平衡测试）。共有 235 名年龄在 6 至 14 岁的球员（557 次测量）的数据符合纵向评估条件。统计分析基于运动表现发展过程的潜在增长曲线模型，以及用于球速、挥棒速度和 30 米冲刺时间的随机效应面板数据多元回归分析。30 米冲刺时间显示出小曲率但在 12-13 岁左右加速增长。然而，球速、挥棒速度和改良版星形偏移平衡测试从 12-13 岁左右开始显示出发展模式变化较慢或加速较少。多元纵向分析表明，运动表现的发展变化与年龄和药球后抛呈正相关。我们的研究结果突出了与棒球相关的运动表现的发展模式，表现为停滞和加速，这可能有助于制定针对青少年棒球运动员的有效、适龄的提高表现策略。
