Relative age effect on competitive performance in judo athletes

Abstract

Differences in chronological age within an age group are known as Relative Age (RA), and their consequences to athletic performance are referred to as Relative Age Effect (RAE). The RAE among athletes is believed to affect their competitive success in several ways, even in adulthood. Thus, the objective of the present study was to investigate the RAE on all judo fighters competing nationally in 2013, by age category and competitive performance. A total of 862 male and 637 female athletes participated in this research. The chi-squared test was used for comparing observed and expected values among quartiles, adopting p < 0.05 as significance. A Bonferroni post hoc analysis was employed to identify where significant differences were (adjusted p < 0.00417). Results showed significant differences in the male under-15 category (Q2 in G1: OV = 17; EV = 9.7; p = 0.001) and male under-23 category (Q1 in G3: OV = 37; VE = 10.1; p < 0.0001). In conclusion, RAE was identified only in male athletes. However, there were major discrepancies between athletes born in the first semester and those born in the second semester.