Article
The purpose is to provide a theoretical basis for the phenomenon of coordination regression in young competitive skiers during the pubertal growth spurt, to develop a concept of functional-technical dissociation, and to identify its diagnostic markers.
Methods and organisation of the research. A theoretical and analytical study based on a literature search and narrative synthesis. The search was conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science and eLIBRARY.RU for the period 2002–2025. The final dataset comprised 45 sources. Inclusion criteria: peer-reviewed original and review articles, monographs, and doctoral theses on biological maturation, postural and neuromuscular control, skiing biomechanics, technical training for young skiers, and load regulation in youth sport. Exclusion criteria: publications unrelated to motor development or biological maturation; non-peer-reviewed works.
Results and discussion. The pubertal growth spurt is characterised as a phase of asynchronous development: lower-limb length peaks before the spurt, lean mass and strength peak afterwards, and skiing gait economy still later. This temporal asynchrony creates conditions for functional-technical dissociation – a state in which the growth of functional potential outpaces the stabilisation of the biomechanical skiing structure. In boys approaching peak height velocity, the density of postural corrective interventions decreases, ankle stabilisation is disrupted, and coordination variability increases. Biomechanical markers of regression include increased cycle-length variability, compensatory cadence rise at stable or falling speed, impaired push-off symmetry, and reduced gait economy. The monitoring criteria identified combine an assessment of biological maturity, specialized speed tests on snow, postural analysis and screening for muscular asymmetries.
Conclusion. A decline in coordination and technical instability during the pubertal growth spurt is caused by a functional-technical dissociation, which is a latent discrepancy between the growth of morphofunctional potential and the stability of the biomechanical structure of the skiing technique. To prevent this, athletes should be categorised according to their stage of biological maturation, with training volume reduced by 15–20% during the circa-PHV period and varied technical work prioritised over the consolidation of a standard movement pattern.
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