Full text: Unavailable
Scientific evidence supports the proposition that prepubertal children fatigue less than adults when performing whole-body dynamic activities like maximal cycling, running bouts, and maximal voluntary isometric/isokinetic muscle contractions. Although the mechanisms underpinning differences in fatigue between children and adults are not all fully understood, there is a consensus that children experience less peripheral fatigue (i.e. muscular fatigue) than their older counterparts. Central factors may also account for the lower fatigability in children. Some studies report a higher reduction of muscle voluntary activation during fatiguing exercise in prepubertal children compared to adults. This could reflect a strategy of the central nervous system aimed at limiting the recruitment of motor units, in order to prevent any extensive peripheral fatigue. Further studies are required to clarify this proposition.