Age of peak performance in Olympic sports: A comparative research among disciplines
This research aimed to study the ages of peak performance in Olympic sport disciplines, and to distinguish age groups among them. The ages (in decimal years) of athletes with the best performances at the 2012 Summer Olympics were considered (n = 3548). A total of forty sport disciplines were included; the athletics events were classified in six disciplines: Sprint, Middle-distance, Long-distance, Combined, Jumping and Throwing. A full statistical summary was produced. A regression tree was proposed for each gender to discriminate groups of sport disciplines according to age. The ages ranged from 14.0 to 52.8 years. The 72% of the athletes aged between 20 and 30 years, and the 99% aged below 40 years. The mean ages for men and women were 27.0 and 26.2 years, respectively. The regression tree analysis generated four groups of sport disciplines in men, and five in women. In men, the mean ages of the groups were: Group 1 = 24.4, Group 2 = 25.9, Group 3 = 28.0 and Group 4 = 30.8. In women, the mean ages of the groups were: Group 1 = 19.9, Group 2 = 22.7, Group 3 = 24.6, Group 4 = 26.5 and Group 5 = 28.3. The combat, gymnastics and swimming disciplines located mostly in the youngest groups in men; a similar tendency was evidenced in women, except for the combat sports. Apart from Combined, all athletics disciplines located in the groups 4 and 5 in women. On the contrary, these disciplines sited mainly in the groups 1 and 2 in men. All game and nautical sports placed in the two eldest groups in both genders, excluding women Water Polo.
© Copyright 2016 Journal of Human Sport & Exercise. University of Alicante. All rights reserved.
| Subjects: |
age
high performance sport
sport
Olympic Summer Games 2012
short-distance running
middle distance running
long distance running
jump
throws
multiple event
track and field
combat sport
apparatus gymnastics
swimming
archery
badminton
basketball
beach-volley
BMX
boxing
flatwater canoe racing
canoeing
mountainbiking
diving
fencing
land hockey
handball
judo
modern pentathlon
open water swimming
road cycling
cycling
rowing
yachting
shooting
table tennis
taekwondo
tennis
track cycling
trampolining
triathlon
volleyball
water-polo
weightlifting
wrestling
Spain
training science
endurance sports
sport games
strength and speed sports
combat sports
technical sports
|
|---|---|
| Notations: | training science endurance sports sport games strength and speed sports combat sports technical sports |
| Published in: | Journal of Human Sport & Exercise |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2016
|
| Volume: | 11 |
| Issue: | 1 |
| Pages: | 31-41 |
| Document types: | article |
| Level: | advanced |