Impact Of Adolescence And Exercise Training On A Child Athlete

Impact of Adolescence and Exercise Training On the Physiological, Structural, Social and Cognitive Growth of a Child Athlete Personal information Student Name: Student Number: Seminar group (day/time/tutor name): Campus: Date of completion: Word Count: Responses to the questions AT1 case study 2 – Gigi Question 1: Recall and describe the stage of growth and development Gigi is currently undergoing? Gigi, who is 14 years old, is at her adolescence stage, a period when she is transitioning to adulthood from childhood. At this stage, Gigi is undergoing a range of physiological, cognitive and emotional/social developmental changes characterized by pubertal growth spurt and a stage of rapid increase in height, weight, and the development of reproductive organs (Sullivan et al., 2011, p.214). At her age, she is in the first stage of the three main stages in adolescence: early adolescence, which occurs between 15 and 17 years, and the late adolescence experienced among young adults over 17 years. While Gigi is yet to have her first menstrual bleed, the physical changes in her portray that she is at her adolescent stage. At the latest diving fitness testing, on the 5th March 2019, Gigi weighed 45 kg, was 155cm and had a sitting height of 78.5 cm. while she is about 2-3 cm shorter compared to her fraternal twin brother, Fui, due to testosterone hormone that increases Fui’s height. The rapid changes are because of hormonal changes in her body at the onset of puberty and sexual maturation. It is important to understand the present Gigi’s development stage to ensure the appropriate timing and type of training that she can adequately perform. This is because growth during adolescence can significantly affect the motor performance, strength, and aerobic power among child athletes like Gigi, whose mother is worried about the burnouts, injury and other negative psychological that training may have on her daughter. Question 2: Describe the KEY physiological, structural, cognitive and/or social changes, which have been occurring for Gigi in her current development stage? Physiological Changes Adolescence stage is a time of dramatic cognitive, physical, emotional and social changes that are accompanied with various challenges in the lives of girls (Scherf, Behrmann, & Dahl, 2012, p.199). The main physiological change occurring at Gigi’s stage is the maturation of the reproductive endocrine axis, which is comprised of the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and the gonad (HPG). The three-part system, known as the HPG axis triggers and manages her maturation to adult stage by controlling the reproductive functions. While most girls have their first menstrual bleed at about 12 years, the timing of menarche tends to vary among different girls and populations. The variation in timing of maturation among healthy individuals is primarily caused by genetic factors (Kollur, Pratinidhi, & Kakade, 2013, p.640). Structural changes As Gigi undergoes sexual maturation, there is a concomitant change in body weight and linear growth (Kollur, Pratinidhi, & Kakade, 2013, p.641). Tanner Staging, also known as Sexual Maturation Rating (SMR), is based on the scale of secondary sexual characteristics that enable health professionals to understand the...