Children and young AThltes
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Medical Conditions
Some common medical conditions prevalent in children and young athletes that they have to manage are asthma, diabetes and epilepsy.
One medical condition that is prevalent in Sprinting is asthma. Children have different triggers to their asthma. A common trigger of asthma is exercise this is called exercise-induced asthma. Coaches must ensure that they know what triggers a child athlete’s asthma to ensure appropriate preventative measures are taken.
Thermoregulation
Children generally have a higher core temperature than adults; this is due to a number of factors such as sweating less, and reduced sweating mechanisms. This means when children and young athletes exercise in the heat, they overheat more easily. Coaches and Parents should ensure that kids get regular breaks preferably in the shade as well as regular sips of water and appropriate clothing. Children are also more susceptible to the cold; this means that coaches and parents should ensure that appropriate clothing is worn to keep them warm.
Appropriateness of Resistance Training
In sprinting the appropriateness of resistance training in young athletes is dependant on their skill and technique. The most a young athlete would do in athletics would be body weight activities. Young athletes should focus on technique, form and skill.
Overuse Injuries
Overuse injuries are very common in children and young athletes, they can be caused by a number of things, such as, inadequate warm-up/cool down, poor technique, overtraining (training at a high intensity for long periods of time), and even faulty equipment. In sprinting the most common overuse injury is from poor technique and over training. Rest, medication and physical therapy that can all be prescribed by a medical practitioner, are good ways to recover from overuse injuries.
Some common medical conditions prevalent in children and young athletes that they have to manage are asthma, diabetes and epilepsy.
One medical condition that is prevalent in Sprinting is asthma. Children have different triggers to their asthma. A common trigger of asthma is exercise this is called exercise-induced asthma. Coaches must ensure that they know what triggers a child athlete’s asthma to ensure appropriate preventative measures are taken.
Thermoregulation
Children generally have a higher core temperature than adults; this is due to a number of factors such as sweating less, and reduced sweating mechanisms. This means when children and young athletes exercise in the heat, they overheat more easily. Coaches and Parents should ensure that kids get regular breaks preferably in the shade as well as regular sips of water and appropriate clothing. Children are also more susceptible to the cold; this means that coaches and parents should ensure that appropriate clothing is worn to keep them warm.
Appropriateness of Resistance Training
In sprinting the appropriateness of resistance training in young athletes is dependant on their skill and technique. The most a young athlete would do in athletics would be body weight activities. Young athletes should focus on technique, form and skill.
Overuse Injuries
Overuse injuries are very common in children and young athletes, they can be caused by a number of things, such as, inadequate warm-up/cool down, poor technique, overtraining (training at a high intensity for long periods of time), and even faulty equipment. In sprinting the most common overuse injury is from poor technique and over training. Rest, medication and physical therapy that can all be prescribed by a medical practitioner, are good ways to recover from overuse injuries.