• An up-to-date, comprehensive reference text with a sound scientific evidence-based foundation to support and challenge scientists, medical practitioners, professionals allied to medicine, senior coaches, physical educators, and students involved in youth sport and/or paediatric exercise science and medicine
• Each comprehensively referenced chapter critically analyses the research literature, establishes what we know, identifies gaps in our knowledge, and challenges current dogma
• Chapters examine how recently developed experimental techniques, technologies, and methods of interpreting data have provided new insights into understanding the relationships between, physical activity, exercise, physical fitness, health, and sport performance in childhood and adolescence
• All chapters are extensively referenced to promote further study and cross-referenced within and across sections to enable interested readers to easily access and integrate complementary information
• The 104 contributing scientists and clinicians represent 67 universities and university hospitals in 25 countries and are internationally recognised experts in their field.

New to this Edition:

• Discusses recently developed experimental techniques, technologies, and methods of interpreting data
• Forty five new contributors and chapters on 20 new topics have been introduced to this edition
• Previous chapters have been re-appraised in the light of recent and current research and re-written, often by new contributors who have emerged as leading researchers and practitioners in their field since the publication of the previous edition