The objective of this work was to describe and to compare the isometric and isokinetic muscular strength at different maturational degree of boys and girls volleyball athletes. 66 healthy children and youth participated in the study in a competitive sportive training. From the 37 boys, 10 were prepubescent (PP), 15 pubescent (PU) and 12 postpubescent (PO). From the girls, 11 were PP, 13 PU and 5 PO. A computational dynamometer (Cybex Norm) was used to measure the isokinetic strength of the elbow flexion (FC) and the knee extension (EJ) at speeds of 60 and 90º.s-1. The isometric strength was measured in the same exercises at angles of 60 and 90º (FC), and 45 and 60º (EJ). The analysis of variance ANOVA and the post hoc Tuckey test were used for the comparisons between gender and maturational degrees. The significance level was considered as p < 0.05. Among the maturational degrees, the older groups were always stronger than the younger groups for both genders. Among genders, the boys were stronger than girls only for group PO, at both angles of the isometric test of FC and in the isokinetic test at 90º.s-1. In the isometric tests of EJ, the values were not significantly different for boys and girls, regardless the maturational degree. In the isokinetic tests, the boys were stronger than girls in groups PP and PO, at 60 and 90º.s-1. These results suggest that the maturational degree is more determinant of muscular strength of volleyball young athletes than the gender.
Child; Youth; Sports; Anthropometric evaluation
