Gender and age-related factors and methodological principles for the development of speed and strength qualities in high school students

This paper examines the gender- and age-related factors influencing the development of speed-strength qualities in high school students. The aim of the study is to provide a theoretical and methodological basis for these gender- and age-related factors and to define the methodological foundations for developing speed-strength qualities in high school students within the context of physical education. Materials and methods. The theoretical basis of the study was provided by contemporary Ukrainian and international scientific publications on physical development, biological maturation, and speed-strength training for high school students. Approaches to the development of these qualities in physical education were identified. The necessity of individualizing physical training loads in senior secondary school, taking into account chronological age, the rate of biological maturation, gender, level of physical fitness, motor experience and the functional capabilities of high school students, was demonstrated. Contemporary Ukrainian and international scientific works devoted to the age-related dynamics of speed-strength abilities, gender differences in physical fitness, and the influence of peak growth velocity, strength training, plyometric training and comprehensive training on the physical performance of adolescents have been analysed. It has been established that, among high school students, gender differences in strength, speed and speed-strength indicators become more pronounced, which is largely linked to the characteristics of sexual maturation and the development of adipose and muscle tissue. Approaches to developing these qualities in the context of physical education have been identified. The need to tailor physical education to biological age and stage of maturation has been demonstrated, along with the principles of workload modulation, differentiation by gender and biological maturity, gradual progression, specificity, variability and recovery.