Resistance Training-induced Adaptations in Children

Resistance exercise training (RET) in children and adolescents has become a popular activity, with a growing body of evidence supporting its use. Numerous studies indicate that it is safe and effective at increasing muscular strength, improving sport performance, and mitigating injury risk. Despite this evidence, there are still many unknowns with RET in children, including its mechanisms of action in enhancing muscle strength.

Neural and muscular mechanisms can improve muscle strength following RET. Neural factors include improved recruitment and firing of an individual's muscle cells, and muscular factors primarily include an increase in the size of the muscle (hypertrophy). In children, little is known about how these mechanisms relate to muscle strength.

Therefore, the purpose of this study is to non-invasively assess the mechanisms of RET-induced strength increases in children performing 12 weeks of RET, compared with a non-training control group. Broadly, muscular adaptations will be assessed using ultrasound measures, while neural mechanisms will be assessed using surface electromyography decomposition.