Williams, C. A., Armstrong, N., Kirby, B., & Welsman, J. (1995). Is there a relationship between children and adolescents' anaerobic and aerobic performance? Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 27(5), Supplement abstract 639.

Only a weak relationship was found between the aerobic and anaerobic capacities in children and adolescents classified according to maturational age.

Implication. The type of physical performance capacity exhibited by pre-pubertal children is not a sound index for predicting post-pubertal athletic capabilities. One cannot, with any moderate degree of confidence, conclude that a successful pre-pubertal sprinter will be just as successful in sprinting during adolescence. Performance capacities are weak predictors of later performances and therefore, are not sound bases for talent identification.

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