Growth, Maturation, Physical Activity, and Sport

Growth, Maturation, Physical Activity, and Sport, Third Edition, is uniquely focused on the biological growth and maturation of children and adolescents in relation to physical performance (both physical activity and sport). Written by a true legend in the field, Robert M. Malina, this latest edition features new content exploring the characteristics of youth sport participants, associated benefits and risks, and efforts aimed at talent development.

This essential resource guides readers through the complexities of human growth and maturation with the latest research findings and over 350 charts and illustrations that visually support the material. The content has been expanded and modified to incorporate recent advances in technology and science, such as progress in the study of the human genome, deeper understanding of hormone regulation during growth, and advancements in body composition assessment.

Growth, Maturation, Physical Activity, and Sport, Third Edition, uses a five-part structure, enabling readers to gain a basic understanding of growth and maturation and then build upon that foundation. The first two parts focus on age- and sex-associated variations in body composition and explore the concept of biological maturation. Part III discusses primary factors that interact to regulate the process of growth and maturation--hormones, genes, nutrients and energy, and social factors. Part IV considers motor development and performance from infancy through adolescence. Part V has been added to provide an overview of youth sports, participation statistics, and motivation for participation, as well as a review of the growth and maturity characteristics of male and female participants in a variety of team and individual sports.

Growth, Maturation, Physical Activity, and Sport, Third Edition, is the only text to focus on the biological growth and maturation process of children and adolescents as it relates to physical activity and performance. Readers will complete the text with an appreciation for the field and its influence in physical education, kinesiology, and the sport sciences.

Robert M. Malina, PhD, FACSM, is a professor emeritus in the department of kinesiology and health at the University of Texas at Austin. He is also an adjunct professor in the department of health management and systems sciences at the University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky.

As a researcher, Malina has focused on the biological growth and maturation of children and adolescents with a focus on performance, youth sports and young athletes, and the potential influences of physical activity and training for sport. His work has also examined the anthropometric correlates of physique and body composition in female athletes at the university level. He has contributed more than 550 papers to peer-reviewed journals.

Throughout his career, Malina has served as editor in chief of the American Journal of Human Biology, editor of the Yearbook of Physical Anthropology, and section editor for growth and development for Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews and Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport.

Malina is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. He received the Citation Award from the organization in 1997 and the Honor Award in 2013. He is also a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Human Biology Association, the AAHPERD Research Consortium, and the National Academy of Kinesiology (formerly called the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education).