Strength training helps young athletes
 |
| Dr. John Masterson, right, checks out the injured leg of Joseph Askew, a Freed-Hardeman University soccer player. |
Though it’s not possible to insure your child doesn’t get injured while playing sports, strength training has been shown to decrease the risk of injuries in children when the program is designed for children and supervised, says Dr. John Masterson, an orthopedic surgeon at Sports, Orthopedics & Spine in Jackson.
Strength training has other benefits, too, he adds. It improves athletic performance, increases cardiovascular fitness, helps increase a child’s self esteem, and as exercise, decreases obesity. Any exercise also helps increase bone mass, and, especially for young women, this lessens the risk of osteoporosis later in life.
Strength training is the use of progressive resistance methods – including body weight, free weights and machines – to increase one’s ability to exert or resist force. As the athlete progresses with strength training, the number of repetitions and/or the resistance weight is increased. Strength training is different than competitive power lifting and weight lifting, Dr. Masterson says.
Strength training safe, beneficial
Myths surrounding strength training by children wrongly suggest that it will increase the risk of injury, that it will have no benefits in children because of their low hormone levels and that it can lead to decreased flexibility and loss of motion. “However, a number of studies are showing that it can be safe and beneficial if appropriately designed and supervised,” Dr. Masterson says.
Medical organizations now recommending the benefits of a good strength-training program include the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Sports Medicine, American College of Sports Medicine, American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine, and the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
As more children train to be better athletes, strength training has gained more attention, Dr. Masterson explains.
He cautions, however, that the young athlete still is growing and should approach strength training differently than an adult might. Here are some of his suggestions.
- Children can begin strength training when they are old enough to follow directions, to understand objectives, and to participate in sports.
- Adults should supervisor a child’s strength-training program.
- For the first three months, the child should use lower weights and do more repetitions. Using the proper form, he should be comfortable doing 10-15 repetitions, for 1-2 sets, without fatigue. If not, the weight should be decreased.
- Gradually, the child can progress to two to three sets, 10-15 repetitions each, and increase weights five to 10 percent. As weights increase, the repetitions may decrease.
- The proper body form is important. For example, a child should avoid hyperextending the back while exercising.
Injuries common at growth centers
Children still can get injuries while playing sports, particularly when movement increases stress on growth centers in the child’s body – mainly places where tendons meet the bone and the bone cartilage has not yet turned into solid bone. Common injury sites are in the knee where the patella tendon attaches to the leg bone, the ankle where the Achilles tendon meets the heel bone, and the elbow.
Another recurring problem with children and sports is aggressive parents, Dr. Masterson says. “We can’t treat the pediatric athlete like an adult. Too much sport can result in injury, burnout and loss of interest – and that eventually works against the desires of the aggressive parent.”
He adds, “It’s a good idea for children to be involved in many different sports rather than to push a child into a particular sport. Parents also should recognize that kids need time to rest.”