Young people and physical activity

Sports medicine is one of the fastest growing specialties of medicine, and the participation of children in sport is receiving much research interest. Children stand to benefit from exercise and sport in a number of ways, but are also at risk of injury or tissue damage if heavy exercise is not carfully monitored. This text introduces the concepts of growth and maturation of tissues and organs, and describes general growth patterns, as well as providing an ideal introduction to the benefits and drawbacks of competitive and non-competitive exercise in children and adolescents, for students, researchers, coaches, and trainers.