Young People and Physical Activity

1446 The purpose of this symposium is to present a critique of key aspects of young people's physiological responses to physical activity and the effects of physical activity as they progress through childhood and adolescence into adult life. The initial presentation by Dr Welsman will address the problems of interpreting data during growth and maturation. It will explore methods of analysing data and use published research to clarify the underlying theoretical concepts. In the following contribution Dr Beunen will discuss the growth and growth velocity of factors associated with muscle strength. He will examine sex differences, tracking over time and relationships with biological maturation. The subsequent presentations by Drs Van Praagh and Armstrong will focus on anaerobic and aerobic performance in relation to growth and maturation with reference to sex differences. The contributors will critically analyse current methods of assessing and interpreting anaerobic and aerobic performance and draw upon longitudinal data sets from their own laboratories to illustrate their presentations and identify challenges for future research. In the final presentation Dr Kemper will review the natural course of skeletal development and investigate the impact of dietary calcium intake and physical activity on bone mineral density.