Hormonal factors in the development of differences in strength between boys and girls during adolescence: a longitudinal study.
Round, J. M. Jones, David A. Honour, J. W. Nevill, Alan M.
Round, J. M.
Jones, David A.
Honour, J. W.
Nevill, Alan M.
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Epub Date
Issue Date
1999
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Abstract
The development of elbow flexor (biceps) and knee extensor (quadriceps) strength has been followed in a mixed longitudinal study of 50 boys and 50 girls from the age of 8 to 17 years. Sex differences in strength emerged at the time of peak height velocity and were especially marked for the biceps. Data for individual children were aligned to the time of peak height velocity and associations between strength, height, weight and circulating testosterone were investigated using multi-level modelling. The results show that, for girls, quadriceps strength is proportional to height and weight while for boys there is an additional factor which can be fully attributed to increasing levels of testosterone. Testosterone is important in explaining differences in biceps strength between the sexes but an additional factor is also required. It is suggested that, in addition to a direct effect on muscle, testosterone could have a second indirect action on biceps strength by promoting growth in length of the humerus as part of the general development of the male upper limb girdle.
Citation
Annals of Human Biology, 26(1): 49-62
Journal
Research Unit
DOI
PubMed ID
9974083
PubMed Central ID
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Type
Journal article
Language
en
Description
Series/Report no.
ISSN
0301-4460