INTRODUCTION: Alpine skiing is a complex sport that requires advanced agility, dexterity, and significant muscular engagement, primarily relying on anaerobic metabolism [1]. However, when considering young athletes, it is crucial to monitor and account for additional variables such us physical and biological growth, as well as gender differences, since boys and girls experience different rates of physical and performance development [2; 3]. The present study examined anthropometry, biological maturation, physical performance capacity and training habits in young alpine skiers, in relation to their actual alpine skiing performance capacity. METHODS: A total of 79 male (M) and female (F) young skiers competing at provincial level and aged between 12 and 16 years (U14 and U16 categories), were analyzed. Anthropometric measurements were taken for each athlete; Mirwald Maturity Offset (MO) and age at Peak Height Velocity (PHV) were calculated. A battery of tests was proposed to evaluate lower-limb explosive and endurance strength, endurance, agility, core stability and flexibility. Additionally, the number of dry-land and on-snow training days were considered as training habits. Alpine skiing-specific performance (ASP) was evaluated by calculating an average percentage time-gap from winner in the best three races of the alpine-skiing circuit. The effect of biological maturity was analyzed by dividing the sample into three subcategories based on the Maturity Offset value (MO). Sex and age-category effects were verified with a two-way ANOVA test, and models predicting ASP index were derived for each group through a forward multiple regression analysis. RESULTS/DISCUSSION: F showed advanced biological maturation and earlier PHV` age than M. Biological maturity status influenced motor performance only in male strength endurance capacity (p < 0.05), without influencing the ASP index (p > 0.05). M-U16 outperformed M-U14 in explosive strength and endurance capacity (p < 0.05), while F-U16 didn`t show significant improvements in respect to F-U14. Gender differences were found in U14, where F showed better results in core stability and flexibility (p < 0.05). Conversely, in U16, M showed better explosive strength than F. ASP index variance was explained by explosive strength and ski-days in U14-M (p < 0.001), strength endurance and agility in U14-F (p < 0.001) and U16-M (p < 0.001), and by explosive strength and dry-land days in U16-F (p = 0.012). Chronological age influenced skiing capacity in U16-M, with older subjects showing a better ASP index (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Moving from U14 to U16, males improve strength and endurance, while females tend to remain stable. Within age categories, biological maturity seems to influence strength endurance in males but has no impact on alpine skiing performance (ASP) in either gender. Conversely, chronological age, rather than biological age, seems to contribute to the model describing alpine skiing performance, along with motor abilities, dry-land and on-snow training days.
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