Comparison of basic motor skills and physical fitness between (pre-)pubertal children from parkour and team sports

Datos Bibliográficos

ID13130366
AutoresChris Konushevci (University of Vechta), Joel Mason (0000-0001-5132-1881, Friedrich Schiller University Jena), Konstantin Warneke (0000-0003-4964-2867, Friedrich Schiller University Jena), Astrid Zech (0000-0002-4332-8546, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, autor de correspondencia)
Año2025
Volumen7
Páginas1562561-1562561
Fecha de publicación2025-03-27
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaFrontiers in Sports and Active Living (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 2624-9367 • E-ISSN: 2624-9367
EditorialFrontiers Media (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fspor.2025.1562561
PMID40212886
OpenAlexW4408902309
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas1
Referencias citadas42

Background Parkour is a modern sport known for daring jumps and moves in urban environments that require exceptional motor skills and various sports-specific techniques. Although it is increasingly popular among children and adolescents, training routines in youth Parkour are still rather driven by personal beliefs and experience of coaches than by evidence. Purpose This study aims to analyze basic motor skills and physical fitness of youth Parkour athletes compared to team sports athletes. Study design Cross-sectional study with matched-pair analysis. Methods Seventeen youth Parkour (12.50 ± 1.80 years) and seventeen team sports athletes (11.90 ± 1.70 years), matched for height and weight, participated in this study. Tests included static (single-leg postural sway = PS) and dynamic balance (Y-Balance test = YBT), jumping (countermovement jump = CMJ, drop jump = DJ, side-hop = SH), muscle strength (planks, pull-ups = PU) and basic gymnastics skills (bridging = BG, handstand = HS, cartwheel = CW). Results The Parkour group performed significantly better in the CMJ ( p = 0.014 ), the anterior direction of the YBT ( p < 0.001 ), cartwheel performance ( p = 0.019 ), and pull-ups ( p = 0.029 ) when compared to the team-sports group. Moderate but non-significant differences were observed in PS for the dominant ( p = 0.12) and non-dominant leg ( p = 0.14) as well as in SH ( p = 0.06). No further significant differences were observed. Conclusion Children practicing Parkour demonstrated superior performances in certain parameters of motor skills and physical fitness compared to team sports athletes. The findings suggest that Parkour may contribute positively to children's overall physical development. However, more intervention studies with a prospective study design are needed for further recommendations

Athletes · Balance (ability · Balance test · Developmental psychology · Dynamic balance · Jump · Jumping · Long jump · Motor skill · Physical fitness · Physical medicine and rehabilitation · Physical therapy · Team sport · Vertical jump · Adventure Sports and Sensation Seeking · Children's Physical and Motor Development · Engineering · Medicine · Psychology · Sports injuries and prevention