Impact of Pubertal Growth on Physical Fitness

Abstract

Puberty is a combination of physical, physiological and psychological changes with detectable alterations in physical growth, which is a determining factor for assessment of physical fitness. Several studies have documented the functionality of physical activity for pubertal growth. But the present review has aimed to investigate whether normal pubertal growth, along with its endocrinological variations affect the level of physical fitness and what are the major fitness variables mostly regulated by the hormonal changes during puberty. Different sex hormones in boys and girls have been found to play the key role for regulation of various fitness determinants like body composition, muscle strength, bone development, erythropoiesis, cardiac function, substrate utilization etc. The major fitness components- strength, aerobic and anaerobic fitness, all have been found to be largely associated and influenced by the growth related endocrinological alterations during puberty.