"Take into account the timing and speed of players' growth to optimize their potential!" This was the topic presented by Elie Rambaud during a seminar organized by French National Institute of Sport (INSEP) on the development of young athletes. During his study with Olympique Lyonnais U13, U14, and U15 players, the doctoral student focused on managing players' growth spurts, which occur between the ages of 10 and 16, in order to more accurately assess their maturation rate. "We can measure it every three months, and the goal is to be able to adapt the workload of training sessions during these periods, which are quite harmful to the health of adolescents. Growth spurts can cause muscle damage, but especially growth pathologies affecting bones or joints," explains the researcher. In his presentation, he points out that growth spurt injuries represent a significant proportion of those encountered during youth academy training.
Brief
The doctoral student was interested in managing the growth peak of players between the ages of 10 and 16 (here the U15s of Austria and Slovakia) / ©Icon Sport