Youth Fitness and Growth

What can youth gain by developing metabolic fitness at a young age?

Metabolic fitness is defined as the ability to provide enough energy to the muscles in a specific type of exercise. A young person stands to gain a lot by developing metabolic fitness early. First, developing metabolic fitness at an early stage will give the child a chance to enjoy the process of training by developing self-discipline. Children who attain higher levels of performance tend to develop this attitude at a younger age. Secondly, training at an early age will hinder the formation of fat cells, which can lead to obesity. Physically active children often demonstrate lower rates of obesity than sedentary children do. Thirdly, in children, metabolic energy fuels growth and tissue development. Therefore, active children tend to mature faster than those who do not participate in physical activity. Active children will often grow into strong adults prepared for life.

Another advantage of metabolic fitness is that it regulates body water balance, transmits nerve signals, and fuels though processes. Physical activity goes hand in hand with brain development. While brains can continuously grow, this relationship is quite critical at an early stage. Greater rates of physical activity in children have been associated with higher grades in reading and math. Adequate brain development allows children to try new types of activity that can enable them to discover their talent. Finally, active children are more likely to become active adults. Research shows that obese adults must have been overweight children. Since the young body is still growing, being active will set a stage for a healthy lifestyle in adulthood.

What physical changes occur during puberty and adolescence? How do these changes affect physical performance in boys? How do these changes affect physical performance in girls?

Adolescence is a critical stage in the development of human beings. Several physical changes occur in both girls and boys to transition them into adulthood. Females always attain puberty earlier than their male counterparts do. The growth spurt depends on the child's maturation level. For instance, boys will experience a growth spurt whereby they grow taller and the chest and shoulders will get broader. Their weight will also go up as they develop more muscle mass due to the production of testosterone. However, other parts might grow faster than the limbs and torso and this might leave them looking. On the other hand, girls will get taller with small limbs and torso, which leaves them unbalanced for a while. Breasts will grow and the body shape will change e.g. the widening of the hips. The menstruation cycle will begin and this might cause some side effects on the girl's mood.

The physical changes do affect physical performance in both boys and girls either positively or negatively. First, both genders struggle with body balance due to the slow growth of the limbs and torso. As for boys, adolescence allows them to make large improvements in all areas of physical performance. The presence of more muscles and more rapid skeletal development increases their endurance during exercise. As for girls, early maturation can give them an advantage earlier in adolescence to outperform the boys. However, adolescence tends to make girls level off in most areas. In addition, the physical changes in girls such as menarche can affect their self-image making them withdraw from athletic performance. The lower rate of muscle growth in girls makes it hard for them to endure strenuous exercises.

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