| Summary: | Purpose
The aim of the study was to compare the mood, motivation, and impulsivity of young athletes of different sexes and ages.
Methods
The sample consisted of 147 young student-athletes of both sexes, aged 12–17 years, participating in the regional stage of the Brazilian Youth School Games 2018. The individuals were categorized into 4 groups for analysis considering sex (male vs. female) and age (≤ 14 years and ≥ 15 years).
Results
(1) Female athletes aged ≤ 14 years demonstrated greater instability of mood compared with males of the same age ( p = 0.009). (2) Female athletes aged ≥ 15 years presented less energy and disposition than female athletes aged ≤ 14 years ( p = 0.007) and males aged ≥ 15 years ( p = 0.001). (3) Both female groups (aged ≤ 14 years and ≥ 15 years) had a higher score than the male group aged ≤ 14 years for lack of perseverance ( p = 0.003 and p = 0.034, respectively) and lack of premeditation ( p = 0.012 and p = 0.013, respectively).
Conclusions
The mood, motivation, and impulsivity of young athletes have varying characteristics in males and females and these variables are modulated by age.
|
|---|