摘要：The disorderly initiation in the practice of physical activity and sport, with excessive and inappropriate training loads for children and adolescents, can result in alterations on their growth, development and maturation. The intent of this article is to compare bibliographic data about the maturational aspects of female olimpic gymnasts (OG) athletes with data of other samples. The sports of OG was chosen because of the characteristics showed by its athletes (short stature and immature appearance). The results showed that the differences exist and they are caused mainly by genetic factors, natural selection and sport technique.
