Author(s): VELENTZA, E., MARIDAKI, M., TSOLAKIS, C., APOSTOLIDIS, N., Institution: NATIONAL AND KAPODISTRIAN UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS, Country: GREECE, Abstract-ID: 2539

INTRODUCTION:
Athletes who specialize in one sport do not seem to have an advantage in task-related performance compared to athletes who participate in multiple sports [1] while years of structured training in other sports seems to have a positive effect on performance [2]. Additionally, the maturation stage in which adolescent athletes are currently in influence the anthropometrical [3] and physical parameters [4]. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyse the impact of sport diversification or specialization on anthropometrical, physical and biological characteristics of adolescent male athletes aged 12-16 years old.
METHODS:
428 male athletes aged 12 (n=109), 13 (n=73), 14 (n=91), 15 (n=70), and 16 (n=85) years old were assessed and analysed from team and individual sports. Factorial Anova was used to investigate the differences. Body mass and height, age at peak height velocity (APHV), training age in other sports, speed (20m), strength (hand grip), and endurance (20m shuttle run test), were analysed by chronological age and by sport diversification or specialization.
RESULTS:
Better performances were observed for sport diversification at the age of 12 in body height [159.55 6.65cm. vs. 155.39 8.35cm., p=.025], in strength [27.12 8.91kg. vs. 23.26 5.23kg. p=.003], and in speed [3.73 0.43sec. vs. 3.89 0.39sec., p=.013], at 13 in endurance [1115.00 479.78m. vs. 911.80 375.42m., p=.041], at 14 in body height [179.03 6.67cm. vs. 171.11 8.61cm., p=.011] and in strength [43.18 12.15kg. vs. 36.87 8.95kg., p=.042], at 15 in body height [185.00 5.57cm vs. 174.06 7.00cm., p<.001] and mass [77.65 9.64kg. vs. 68.14 10.41kg., p=.027], and at 16 in endurance [1602.22 307.81m. vs. 1330.53 348.05m., p=.015]. However adolescent boys participating in multiple sports were more biologically mature at the age of 14 [13.42 0.42APHV vs. 14.05 0.78APHV, p = .014] and 15 [13.40 0.77APHV vs. 14.14 0.64APHV, p = .002]. While at the age of 12 [4.20 2.13y. vs. 2.82 2.27y., p=.014], 13 [5.97 2.77y. vs. 3.35 2.82y., p=.003], 14 [6.63 2.73y. vs. 3.49 2.64y., p=.006], and 15 [7.40 2.51y. vs. 3.39 2.95y., p=.007], multiple sport participation athletes have spent more years in structured training of other sports.
CONCLUSION:
Adolescent boys choose sport diversification, spent more training years in other sports, are taller and reveal a better performance, even with earlier biological maturity at 14 and 15 years old.

1 Kliethermes, et al. (2020) 2. Fransen et al. (2022) 3. Almeida-Neto et al. (2023) 4. Vaeyens et al. (2008).