The degree to which children and adolescents can improve physiologic measures depends upon growth and maturation rates and the exercise stimulus during the training program. In many ways, children respond to exercise much the same as adults do. Children may even have certain advantages over adults. For example, children seem to recover faster from exercise and appear ready to exercise again sooner than adults. There are major differences between children and adults, with respect to physiological responses and adaptations following exercise.
Most physiological capacities are dependent upon body and system dimensions.
For example, both stroke volume and cardiac output are lower in children than in adults because of their immature heart. In addition, children have lower blood volume, and hemoglobin concentration than adults. A lower maximal stroke volume and cardiac output, combined with lower total hemoglobin concentration, reduce the oxygen carrying capacity compared to adults. With normal growth and development, most of these dissimilarities disappear. An appreciation of the differences between how children respond and adapt to exercise compared to adults will help P.E. teachers plan safer and more effective exercise programs.