Adolescent boys who participate in sports exhibit similar ramp torque control with young men despite differences in strength and tendon characteristics

Purpose: The goal of this paper was to determine if sports participation influences torque control differently for adolescent boys and young men during a slow ramp task.

Methods: Twenty-one adolescent boys (11 athletes) and 31 young men (16 athletes) performed a slow ramp increase in plantar flexion torque from 0 to maximum. We quantified torque control as the coefficient of variation (CV) of torque during the ramp and quantified the Achilles tendon mechanical properties using ultrasonography.

Results: Relative to adolescent boys, young men were taller, heavier, stronger, and had a longer and stiffer Achilles tendon. However, these characteristics were not different between athletes and non-athletes in adolescent boys. For the CV of torque, there was a significant interaction with sports participation, indicating that only adolescent boys who were non-athletes had greater variability than young men. The CV of torque of all participants was predicted from the maximum torque and torque oscillations from 1 to 2 Hz, whereas the CV of torque for adolescent boys was predicted only from torque oscillations from 1 to 2 Hz.

Conclusion: These findings suggested that adolescent boys who participate in sports exhibited lower torque variability during a slow ramp task, which was not explained by differences in Achilles tendon properties or strength.