670 EP027 – Impacts of maturational status on unilateral squatting and landing task performance in youth multisport athletes

Background During the adolescent growth spurt, youth athletes can experience rapid changes in centre of mass, limb length and moments of inertia, with some athletes also experiencing transient changes in coordination, postural and neuromuscular control. These sensorimotor system changes have been proposed to increase injury risk in adolescence due to the impact on the movement patterns of sporting and non-sporting tasks. Objective To understand if maturity status impacts unilateral sporting task performance in adolescent multisport athletes Design Cohort Study Setting Field based setting within sporting clubs and academies Participants 76 male and female athletes (n = 24 pre-PHV, n = 28 circa-PHV, n= 33 post-PHV) multisport athletes participated in this study Interventions Single leg squat and single leg land were analysed via qualitative assessment of single leg loading (QASLS), maturity status was determined via non-invasive maturational equation via predicted percentage of adult stature (PAH%) Main Outcome Measure Qualitative QASLS score of movement quality, maturity status Results Significant interactions were identified indicating PHV group differences of unilateral task performance for both single leg squat and single leg landing. Unilateral movement task strategies had difference prevalence at different percentages of PAH%, with an observed trend in those at the higher end of PAH% using fewer movement strategies to complete unilateral tasks than those at lower PAH%. The interaction effect between sex, maturational status and unilateral task performance was non-significant suggesting that sex specific differences did not impact multisport athlete unilateral task performance as evaluated by compound QASLS score. Conclusions The findings of this study support an effect of maturation on unilateral task performance by multisport athletes, with different movement strategies associated with different phases of maturational status during unilateral squatting and landing tasks. This has implications and considerations for injury, its monitoring and preventions.