Key result
Early sport specialization was associated with increased risk of injury, worse functional and physical performance, and poor psychological outcomes, with no clear advantage for sport success.
Why the study?
Despite growing concerns that early sport specialization risks may outweigh benefits, no summative review had comprehensively evaluated its impact on pediatric athlete outcomes.
Does early sport specialization impact injury, function, performance, sport success, and psychological outcomes in pediatric athletes?
Population
62,327 athletes across 93 included studies
Comparison
Early sport specialization exposure
Design
Rapid review
Authors
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May warrant caution against early specialization in pediatric athletes; extends observational synthesis across domains without establishing causation.
Systematic Review (n=62,327)
Does early sport specialization impact injury, function, performance, sport success, and psychological outcomes in pediatric athletes?
Early sport specialization in pediatric athletes is associated with increased injury risk, worse performance, and poor psychological outcomes without clear advantages in sport success.
Luo et al. (2025) conducted a systematic review in Pediatric athletes (n=62,327). Early sport specialization vs. Late specialization or multisport participation was evaluated on Injury, function, performance, sport success, and psychological outcomes. Early sport specialization was associated with increased risk of injury, worse functional and physical performance, and poor psychological outcomes, with no clear advantage for sport success.
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