Recently, S&C coach Nikolay Georgiev also shared an insightful post on LinkedIn, highlighting a must-read research paper for anyone involved with youth athletes. It’s widely understood that the risk of injury increases during the growth spurt phase for adolescent athletes, but Georgiev brings valuable examples to life through his critique of the research.

The importance of monitoring growth in youth athletes

During this rapid growth period, the length and mass of limbs increase before muscle strength and tendon capacity can catch up. Consequently, young athletes need to exert a greater percentage of their maximum force just to perform the same movements they were used to before.

Georgiev illustrates this point well, noting that a mere 4-centimetre increase in leg length can demand as much as 30% more muscle force to achieve the same kicking motion. Thus, engaging in repetitive actions like kicking or swinging during the growth spurt can lead to heightened tissue stress and an increased risk of injury.

Does a gluten-free diet improve athletic performance?

Many athletes choose to follow gluten-free diets, even if they aren’t celiac, under the impression that it can enhance their performance. Coughlin highlights a new study involving endurance athletes, which found that a gluten-free diet may lead to modest improvements in body composition and aerobic capacity. However, it’s important to note that the study revealed no significant improvements in time trial performance among these athletes, nor did it show any notable effects on gastrointestinal health.

While adopting a gluten-free diet may offer some benefits for body composition, if you do not have celiac disease, maintaining a mixed diet could be equally effective, if not more so, for performance and gut health.