The young athlete: Some physiological considerations

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Abstract
Child athletes have a low ability to generate high‐intensity anaerobic power and their local muscular endurance is low compared with that of adult athletes. This is reflected in children's low performance in short and long sprints, jumps and throwing events. On the other hand, children achieve steady‐state at the start of intense exercise and recover more quickly than adults following intense exercise. A practical implication is that, during high‐intensity interval training, children may need shorter resting periods than adults. Children take longer than adults to acclimate or acclimatize to heat. Upon transition to a warmer climate, their daily training volume and intensity should therefore be curtailed more so than in adults. Compared with adults, children thermoregulate less effectively during dehydration. Adequate fluid replenishment is therefore paramount for the child athlete. Flavouring the fluid is one means of enhancing young athletes’ drinking volume. It is possible that adding sodium and chloride to the drink will further enhance drinking volume.