Neuromuscular Training and Adaptations in Youth Athletes

According to Myer and colleagues [1], neuromuscular training (NT) is a conceptual training model that is defined as a training program to incorporate general (e.g., fundamental movements) and specific (e.g., sport-specific movements) strength and conditioning activities, such as resistance, dynamic stability, core-focused strength, plyometric, and agility, that are designed to enhance health and skill-related components of physical fitness. Extensive literature emphasizes the positive effects of NT on muscular fitness and health in non-athletic youth. However, findings from NT studies in non-athletic youth were frequently translated to youth athletes which is not feasible because physiology and proficiency in motor performance differ markedly between non-athletic and athletic populations. Therefore, more research is needed on the impact of NT on muscular fitness (i.e., strength, power, endurance), athletic performance (i.e., proxies of performance in specific sport disciplines), and health-related outcomes (e.g., immune response, injury prevention) in youth athletes. Further, our knowledge with regards to the training-induced underlying physiological adaptive processes (neuro- and tendomuscular, immunological), following NT is limited.
Thus, the aims of this Frontiers Research Topic entitled “Neuromuscular Training and Adaptations in Youth Athletes” is to provide in depth knowledge in the form of original work, review articles, and meta-analyses on the effects of NT on muscular fitness, athletic performance, and injury prevention in youth athletes during the different stages of long-term athlete development.
We specifically ask interested authors to address the following research gaps that were recently identified in a scoping review published in Frontiers in Physiology [2]:
• Examine the effects of NT in child athletes
• Examine the effects of NT in female youth athletes
• Examine the relation between NT and health-related outcomes (e.g., orthopedic, immunological)
• Elucidate neuromuscular and tendomuscular mechanisms following NT in youth athletes according to sex and biological age

References
1. Myer, G.D., et al., When to initiate integrative neuromuscular training to reduce sports-related injuries and enhance health in youth? Curr Sports Med Rep, 2011. 10(3): p. 155-66.
2. Granacher, U., et al., Effects of Resistance Training in Youth Athletes on Muscular Fitness and Athletic Performance: A Conceptual Model for Long-Term Athlete Development. Front Physiol, 2016. 7: p. 164.