Basics of Growth, Maturation and Physical Activity

1
Basics of Growth, Maturation and Physical Activity
2
BASICS
Why study growth? How do we study
growth? Introduction and history.

• What is Growth?
• What is Maturation?
• What is Development?
• How do these all interact?

GROWTH
SELF-CONCEPT
DEVELOPMENT
MATURATION
3
GROWTH

• DEFINITION an increase in size of the body as
  whole or in specific body parts
• focus SIZE
• systematic ongoing process
• INVOLVED size, proportion, physique, and
  composition

4

• Then what is SIZE?
• Then what is PROPORTION?
• Then what is PHYSIQUE?
• Then what is COMPOSITION?

5
MATURATION

• DEFINITION the tempo and timing of progress
  towards the mature biological state.
• Focus RATE
• process depends on the system
• SYSTEMS skeletal, sexual, dental and
  neuromuscular
• EXAMPLES
• SEXUAL MATURATION means fully functional
  reproductive capability REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
• SKELETAL MATURATION means a fully ossified
  skeleton determine age of the skeleton
  SKELETAL SYSTEM

6
DEVELOPMENT

• DEFINITION competence in the following areas
• cognitive, emotional, social, moral, and motor
  factors
• FOCUS competence
• 2 CONTEXTS behavioral biological

7
CONTEXTS OF DEVELOPMENT

• BIOLOGICAL differentiation of cells along
  specialized lines of function (prenatal).
• BEHAVIORAL competence in a variety of domains
  as the child adjusts to the environment.

8
HOW THESE TERMS INTERACT?

• Biological and behavioral development will
  interact to shape the individual
• Self-concept or self esteem how do you perceive
  yourself in what you do?

9
HOW THESE TERMS INTERACT
GROWTH
MATURATION
DEVELOPMENT
size physique body composition
motor social emotional cognitive
somatic sexual skeletal neuromuscular
SELF CONCEPT
10
WHY DO WE STUDY GROWTH?

• MAKE COMPARISONS
• compare a child or group to a set of comparative
  data
• OBSERVE HUMAN VARIABILITY
• understand human biological variation
• the only way an adult can become an adult is
  through the process of growth and maturation.
• However processes are PLASTIC!!
• nutrition, disease, genetics etc.

11
QUESTIONS WE CAN ASK

• Will the level of maturation affect physical
  performance?
• How do you deal with variation in your classroom,
  on your sports team or even as a parent?

12
What is the impact of changes in size on
performance?
13
SAME AGE???
14
Chronological age/age groups

• Infancy birth to 1
• Childhood
• Early 1 5
• Middle 6 12
• Adolescence
• About 10-18
• Boys 10-22
• Girls 8-19

15
How can/do we study growth?

• Status and progress.

HOW
WHERE
16
STATUS

• the attained size
• level of maturation at a given point in time
  (distance traveled)
• HOW WE USE STATUS
• comparisons how one child compares to another
  of the same age and sex
• EXAMPLE CDC Growth Charts (2000)
• Comparisons to reference values of healthy
  children of same age and sex.

17
PROGRESS

• implies change
• progress over time VELOCITY
• an indication RATE
• involves maturation (biological process) relative
  to chronological age
• CLASSIFIED AS
• early, on time or late
• HOW WE USE PROGRESS
• how one child grows (fast or slow) over a period
  of time

18
WHY WOULD THIS BE IMPORTANT IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION
AND SPORT?

• Growth in terms of implications to physical
  activity, fitness, etc
• Trainability
• sensitivity to training
• optimal time to begin regular training
• Readiness
• match between a childs level of growth,
  maturity, and development and the task demands
  presented in competitive sports.

19

• QUESTION Is a child ready in terms of all 3
  aspects (growth, maturation, development) at the
  same time?

20
SCAMMONS CURVES

• Proposed that growth of different tissues and
  systems could be summed into 4 parts
• Size was expressed as a percent of 100

21
THE 4 PARTS OF THE CURVE

• 1. GENERAL BODY CURVE describes most systems
  of the body including height and weight
• 2. NEURAL CURVE describes the brain and
  related parts.
• 3. GENITAL CURVE primary sexual
  characteristics and secondary sexual
  characteristics.
• 4. LYMPHOID CURVE describes the tissues
  related to immunological tissues (resistance to
  disease).

22
SCAMMONS CURVES

• GENERAL BODY CURVE
• Rapid in Birth - 2yrs
• Steady but constant in 6 - 12 yrs
• Rapid growth in adolescent growth spurt (12 yrs)
• Slow increase and eventual stop after adolescence

23
SCAMMONS CURVES

• NEURAL CURVE
• Describes the brain and related parts
• Rapid growth in early life
• By 6 yrs of age, brain is 95 of its adult size
• Includes the CNS

24
SCAMMONS CURVES

• GENITAL CURVE
• Primary and secondary sexual characteristics
• Little growth in childhood
• Rapid growth in adolescence

25
SCAMMONS CURVES

• LYMPHOID CURVE
• Describes the tissues related to the
  immunological system
• 1. See a down slope after age 12 due to thymus
  gland beginning to atrophy
• Early in life develop resistance to disease

26
IMPORTANT PARTS OF SCAMMONS CURVES

• The body grows
• In different AREAS (systems)
• At different TIMES
• At different RATES
• So post natal growth is variable.

27
HOW (process) we grow versus how we MEASURE
(outcome) growth.
28
HOW WE GROW (Processes)

• HYPERPLASIA increase in cell NUMBER
• HYPERTROPHY (auxetic growth) increase in cell
  SIZE
• ACCRETION an increase in the SUBSTANCES that
  hold the cells together found between cells (ex.
  bone mineral, collagen)

29
SO WHAT IS GROWTH VERSUS HOW DO WE STUDY IT?

• COMMON MEASUREMENTS
• We cannot measure growth or maturation, instead
  we measure the OUTCOMES of growth and maturation.

30
TYPES OF DESIGNS USED IN THE STUDY OF GROWTH AND
MATURATION

• cross sectional
• longitudinal
• mixed

31
CROSS SECTIONAL DESIGN

• at a given age measured each individual only ONCE
• gives status at a GIVEN TIME
• DISADVANTAGES
• child is represented only once
• can only provide information on status (where)
• status provides how big they are versus that
  POPULATION

32
EXAMPLE population is gymnasts
Age 8
Age 12
Age 10
Age 14
33
LONGITUDINAL DESIGN

• repeated observations on the same individuals at
  specific intervals over a period of time
• provides information for STATUS and PROGRESS
  (rate)
• DISADVANTAGES
• takes long time
• sample size gets smaller every year

34
EXAMPLE population 1 soccer player over a 6
year time frame
Age 8
Age 10
Age 14
Age 12
35
MIXED LONGITUDINAL DESIGN

• combination of cross section and longitudinal
• can be measured on all occasions while some
  measured on only several occasions
• gives status
• uses statistics to derive progress or rate
• DISADVANTAGES
• more complicated
• set specific ages to study 4, 8, 12, 16 and each
  child followed at regular intervals over the next
  4 years

36
EXAMPLE population of field hockey players
Then measure again at age 22.
Group C Age 18
Group A Age 10
Then measure again at age 14.
Group B Age 14
Then measure again at age 18.
37
MEASUREMENT ERROR
Who checks the checker?????
38
DEFINITIONS OF AGE

• HOW you are grouped by age?
• Chronological age age assigned by calendar year
• Example 9.0 9.99 and average 9.5
• Example 8.5 9.49 and average 9.0
• IMPLICATIONS
• Skeletal age age determined by the ossification
  of the bones, reflects more of the physiological
  age
• IMPLICATIONS

39
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN STATUS AND RATE

• Measure of GROWTH STATUS if a child is measured
  at ONE point in time
• examples would be (cm)
• status is also called distance
• Measure of GROWTH RATE if a child is measured
  at regular INTERVALS
• examples would be (cm/year)
• rate is also called velocity