Calculating your Athletes’ Peak Height Velocity
Estimate how close an athlete is to their peak growth phase. This tool uses height, sitting height, weight, age, and sex to calculate maturity offset, helping you identify whether an athlete is pre-, circa-, or post–Peak Height Velocity (PHV).
Understanding where an athlete sits in relation to their Peak Height Velocity (PHV) is critical for safe and effective coaching. The rapid physical changes during this period, often called the “growth spurt”, can temporarily disrupt coordination, increase injury risk, and lead to performance plateaus or declines.
By aligning your training approach to the athlete’s stage of development, you can better support skill retention, physical readiness, and long-term progression.
Pre-PHV (Offset < -1.0)
The athlete is still in the growth build-up phase.
Training focus:
Fundamentals and movement quality: focus on balance, coordination, agility
Skill variety: keep it engaging with exposure to multiple movement patterns and event types
Light strength work: bodyweight, technique-focused lifts
Be cautious with rapid loading or overtraining—growth plates are still vulnerable
“Growth Spurt” Period (Offset between -1.0 and +1.0)
The athlete is likely in or very near their growth spurt.
Training focus:
Movement control under change: neuromuscular training is essential as proportions shift
Prioritise mobility, posture, and core stability
Load tolerance can vary—use regular check-ins and adjust volume weekly
Technique may temporarily decline—be patient and reinforce basics
Post-PHV (Offset > +1.0)
The athlete has passed their peak growth and is stabilising.
Training focus:
Introduce or progress structured strength and power development
Higher-intensity event-specific work becomes more appropriate
Reinforce technical development as body control improves again
Training load and recovery can now scale more like senior-level athletes
