Bergeron et al. 2015, IOC consensus statement on youth athletic development

International Olympic Committee consensus statement reviewing the science and practice of developing young athletes (Bergeron MF et al., British Journal of Sports Medicine 2015;49(13):843-851, DOI 10.1136/bjsports-2015-094962). It sets out recommendations for building healthy, resilient and capable youth athletes across all levels of participation, covering biological maturation, physiological responses to training, injury prevention, early specialisation, psychological well-being, nutrition and coaching. It cautions against narrow early specialisation and high training loads in favour of broad, sustainable, enjoyable development, and treats injury and energy availability as central concerns during periods of rapid growth. Strong as an IOC consensus statement; many specific recommendations rest on observational and developmental data.