Human Anatomy (with the Fundamentals of Dynamic and Sports Morphology) - Ivanitsky, M. F. 2008

Age Morphology
Biological Age, Motor Age, and Motor Qualities

Concepts exist regarding not only biological age, but also motor age, which reflects the level of mastery in performing natural body movements and the repertoire of movements a person possesses at a given time, as evaluated against their chronological or calendar age.

The transition from one motor age to another is most clearly observable During the first year of a child's life, as they sequentially master HEAD control, sitting with and without support, standing, walking, and so on. Throughout early childhood and the First and Second childhood periods, motor age is determined by the proficiency of natural movement patterns. This proficiency depends on motor qualities (such as speed, strength, and others), which develop on The basis of Anatomical and physiological predispositions under METABOLISM/18.html">The Influence of physical activity.

In elderly and senile age groups, motor age is influenced by changes in motor function, The Musculoskeletal System, and the systems regulating and supporting movement due to the Aging process. Engaging in physical culture allows individuals to maintain a motor age in this stage of life that differs very little from maturity.

Human movements possess both Qualitative and quantitative characteristics. For proper functioning, the body requires a specific volume (amount) of movement. An insufficient volume of movement leads to movement deprivation. In extreme cases, this results in a complex of morphological and functional disorders known as the hypokinetic syndrome or even hypokinetic disease.

The volume of movement is typically assessed by the number of steps taken (using pedometry). This is because, firstly, walking is a universal and most widespread form of locomotion, and secondly, this motor act involves the entire body musculature, meaning it has generalized manifestations. The regulation of physical activity is carried out by taking into account the age-related biological characteristics of children and the social and ecological conditions of their lives. For instance, adolescents during Puberty (one of the most critical stages in developmental biology) require 20,000 to 30,000 steps per day. However, regular comprehensive school students often log only 13.6 thousand steps, music school students 12.2 thousand, art school students 10.1 thousand, and mathematics school students 17.2 thousand steps. A child's lack of movement should be compensated for both during physical education classes and through extracurricular health and fitness activities.

The body's need for movement and its motor qualities are both nurtured and inherited. A distinct phased development of motor qualities has been established. Furthermore, there are critical periods in their development during which selectively targeted physical education Methods can yield maximum effectiveness. The alignment of these critical periods with chronological age is linked to the sex characteristics of children and varies across different motor qualities. Looking at the school-age period (7–17 years), these critical periods in girls are shifted predominantly to an earlier age (9–12 years), whereas in boys they are distributed quite evenly. The critical period for The Development of speed qualities in children of both sexes occurs earlier in life than that for endurance and strength.

Active growth in motor qualities is observed during the period preceding puberty. For example, maximum gains in Muscle strength (across various muscle groups) occur between the ages of 10–12 in girls, and between 13 and 14 in boys. These sex differences are explained by the fact that puberty onset occurs earlier in girls than in boys.

The physical activity and motor qualities of children and adolescents are closely linked to their biological age. The Nature of this relationship depends on the age period, the specific motor quality, and the degree of biological maturity. Speed qualities are generally inversely related to biological age indicators, whereas strength and endurance show a direct correlation. During the period of GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, the interplay between motor and biological age metrics is driven by general ontogenetic factors—namely, HEREDITY AND ENVIRONMENT. Once adolescence is complete, this relationship weakens and becomes more selective. For instance, a young man's height shows no correlation with the development of his strength qualities, unlike his body mass, which includes a muscular component.

Both harmonious and disharmonious development are characteristic not only of body dimensions (see p. 435), but also of the expression of motor qualities. Boys exhibit greater equilibrium in their physical status and a higher degree of harmony in motor development compared to girls.