Children and Adolescents in Sport and Exercise

A series of vocabulary flashcards focused on key concepts related to growth, development, and physiological responses in children and adolescents during sport and exercise.

Growth

The increase in size of the body or a part of the body.

Development

The differentiation and functional changes that occur as a person matures.

Maturation

The process of taking adult form, influenced by chronological age, skeletal age, and stage of sexual maturation.

Infancy

The first year of life.

Childhood

The period from the first birthday to the onset of puberty.

Puberty

The stage of development marked by the appearance of secondary sex characteristics.

Adolescence

The developmental stage from puberty to the completion of growth.

Bone ossification

The process by which bone tissue is formed, including the closure of growth plates.

Estrogen

A hormone that stimulates growth plate closure and contributes to bone maturity.

Muscle mass

The amount of muscle tissue in the body, which increases steadily with weight.

Myelination

The process of forming a myelin sheath around nerves to increase signal transmission speed, affecting strength.

Lung function

The respiratory efficiency, which improves with age and physical development.

Maximal heart rate (HR)

The highest heart rate an individual can achieve during all-out effort; tends to be higher in children than adults.

Anaerobic performance

The ability to perform short bursts of high-intensity exercise without oxygen, generally lower in children than adults.

Endocrine responses

The hormonal changes in children during exercise, including growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor.

Cognitive function

Mental processes that can be influenced by physical activity, affecting skills and academic behavior.

Thermal stress

The physiological responses to heat exposure, differing between children and adults.

Physical activity patterns among youth

Activity habits established in childhood that often persist into adulthood.