REVIEW ARTICLE Role of Intensive Training in the Growth and Maturation of Artistic Gymnasts

The Author(s) 2013. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com Abstract Short stature and later maturation of youth artistic gymnasts are often attributed to the effects of intensive training from a young age. Given limitations of available data, inadequate specification of training, failure to consider other factors affecting growth and maturation, and failure to address epidemiological criteria for causality, it has not been possible thus far to establish cause–effect relationships between training and the growth and matu-ration of young artistic gymnasts. In response to this ongoing debate, the Scientific Commission of the Interna-tional Gymnastics Federation (FIG) convened a committee to review the current literature and address four questions: (1) Is there a negative effect of training on attained adult stature? (2) Is there a negative effect of training on growt