Crecimiento físico y madurez biológica de jugadores jóvenes de tenis de mesa

Although table tennis is a popular sport played by millions of people regularly and competitively, and the studies devoted to table tennis are increasing, the extent of literature on the growth and maturity status of young table tennis players is not extensive. The present study aimed to assess the growth and maturity status of young medal-winning table tennis players and compare them with non-medal-winning players. A group of 117 competitive players, consisting of 57 males (12.87±1.35 years) and 60 females (12.99±1.24 years), underwent measurements of standing height, sitting height, and body mass. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated by dividing weight (in kilograms) by the square of height (in meters), and growth status was determined using a reference database. Somatic maturity status was estimated using age at peak height velocity (APHV) and maturity offset, calculated by the difference between APHV and chronological age. The results indicated that the mean height, body mass, and BMI percentiles of both genders were higher than the 37th percentile when compared to normative references. There were no significant differences in terms of growth and maturity status between medal-winning and non-medal-winning players in both genders. The study suggests that coaches might consider closely monitoring the growth and maturity levels of their players and potentially consider adjusting training strategies based on the players' physical characteristics. These findings could contribute valuable insights into talent identification, physical development, and their potential influence on performance in youth table tennis.