Flexibility in Wrestlers, Taekwondoists, and Non-Athletes During the Developmental Ages: The Effects of Sport, Age, and Sex

Objectives: Flexibility may be influenced by several factors, including age, sex, and physical activity or sport. This study simultaneously investigated the effect of sport (wrestling vs. taekwondo vs. no participation in sports activities), age (children vs. adolescents), and sex (boys vs. girls) on lower and upper body flexibility during the developmental ages. Methods: A total of 120 wrestlers, 120 taekwondoists, and 120 non-athletes (60 boys: 30 children and 30 adolescents; 60 girls: 30 children and 30 adolescents, per group) participated in the present study and performed two flexibility tests (sit and reach, back scratch). Results: ANOVAs and ANCOVAs (using anthropometric characteristics as covariates) analyses showed greater (p = 0.000–0.005) flexibility values in wrestlers and taekwondoists than non-athletes (except for the sit and reach in children girls, and flexibility of the right hand in children boys and girls, where no differences were observed). However, no differences (p = 0.672–0.992) were presented between wrestlers and taekwondoists (except for the flexibility of the left hand, where wrestlers showed greater values). Within the wrestlers and taekwondoists groups, children exhibited lower (p = 0.01–0.04) values than adolescents; while, in non-athletes, no age-related differences were observed (p = 0.263–0.995). Additionally, girls demonstrated higher values than boys, and the right hand demonstrated higher flexibility values than the left hand (p = 0.000–0.04). The difference between hands was greater (p = 0.000–0.01) in non-athletes (69.14–96.22%) vs. athletes (23.73–58.85%), taekwondoists (41.01–58.85%) vs. wrestlers (23.73–47%), and boys (44.68–96.22%) vs. girls (23.73–70.44%). Conclusions: It seems that engaging in wrestling and taekwondo sports affects the growth pattern of flexibility in boys and girls during the developmental ages.