Jessica J James, Sandra K Hunter, Elizabeth P Bueckers, Michael J Joyner, Jonathon W Senefeld
{"title":"Sex-Based Differences in the Representation of Top Youth Athletes.","authors":"Jessica J James, Sandra K Hunter, Elizabeth P Bueckers, Michael J Joyner, Jonathon W Senefeld","doi":"10.1249/MSS.0000000000003681","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Among overall top performances of youth track and swimming athletes, we aimed to determine 1) the proportional number of male compared with female athletes represented and 2) at what age females are no longer represented.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Finishing times and sex of the top 10 and top 100 performances of youth runners and swimmers between 5 and 18 yr were abstracted from online U.S.-based databases for four running (100 m-800 m) and six freestyle swimming events (50 m-1500 m).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Males represented a greater proportion of the top 10 performances starting at 7 yr in running ( P = 0.023) and 12 yr in swimming ( P = 0.023) (averaged across events). Males represented a greater proportion of the top 100 performances starting at 6 yr in running ( P < 0.001) and 7 yr in swimming ( P < 0.001) (averaged across events). Females were no longer represented within the top 10 performances starting at ~12 yr in running and ~13 yr in swimming and no longer represented within the top 100 starting at ~14 yr in running and ~15 yr in swimming.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In elite youth athletes, there was a greater proportion (representation) of males within the top 100 running and swimming performances beginning between 6 and 7 yr of age, with females no longer represented between 14 and 15 yr of age. Our findings suggest males are more likely to be represented \"on the podium\" in open sporting events (not categorized by sex) than females starting at 6 yr of age.</p>","PeriodicalId":18426,"journal":{"name":"Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise","volume":" ","pages":"1523-1529"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000003681","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/2/25 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"SPORT SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objectives: Among overall top performances of youth track and swimming athletes, we aimed to determine 1) the proportional number of male compared with female athletes represented and 2) at what age females are no longer represented.
Methods: Finishing times and sex of the top 10 and top 100 performances of youth runners and swimmers between 5 and 18 yr were abstracted from online U.S.-based databases for four running (100 m-800 m) and six freestyle swimming events (50 m-1500 m).
Results: Males represented a greater proportion of the top 10 performances starting at 7 yr in running ( P = 0.023) and 12 yr in swimming ( P = 0.023) (averaged across events). Males represented a greater proportion of the top 100 performances starting at 6 yr in running ( P < 0.001) and 7 yr in swimming ( P < 0.001) (averaged across events). Females were no longer represented within the top 10 performances starting at ~12 yr in running and ~13 yr in swimming and no longer represented within the top 100 starting at ~14 yr in running and ~15 yr in swimming.
Conclusions: In elite youth athletes, there was a greater proportion (representation) of males within the top 100 running and swimming performances beginning between 6 and 7 yr of age, with females no longer represented between 14 and 15 yr of age. Our findings suggest males are more likely to be represented "on the podium" in open sporting events (not categorized by sex) than females starting at 6 yr of age.
期刊介绍：
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise® features original investigations, clinical studies, and comprehensive reviews on current topics in sports medicine and exercise science. With this leading multidisciplinary journal, exercise physiologists, physiatrists, physical therapists, team physicians, and athletic trainers get a vital exchange of information from basic and applied science, medicine, education, and allied health fields.
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
分享
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
扫码关注我们
