As young athletes go through puberty, their bodies undergo a whirlwind of hormonal, biomechanical, and psychological changes that can temporarily disrupt performance. Sprint times may slow, endurance might dip, fatigue can hit harder, and injury risks increase—challenges that are especially common for female athletes in mid to late adolescence.

But a performance plateau isn’t the end of progress—it’s a phase of adaptation. With the right coaching approach, athletes can regain confidence, refine their mechanics, and emerge stronger.

This article explores the four key factors behind these plateaus and offers practical, science-backed strategies to help coaches guide their athletes through this crucial stage of development.

*Athlete names have been changed in this article to protect their privacy.

1. Increase in Oestrogen Levels: Impact on Muscle-to-Fat Ratio

An increase in oestrogen during puberty leads to a higher muscle-to-fat ratio shift, with more fat deposited around the hips and thighs. This can temporarily reduce power-to-weight efficiency, affecting sprint acceleration and jump explosiveness.
Tap the sections below to learn more about its potential causes, effects, and coaching strategies.

2. Growth Spurts: Changes in Limb Length and Coordination

Growth spurts cause sudden increases in limb length, temporarily disrupting coordination, stride mechanics, and balance. Athletes may struggle with timing, force application, and efficiency until they adapt to their new proportions.
Tap the sections below to learn more about its potential causes, effects, and coaching strategies.

3. Menstrual Cycle Variability: Energy, Recovery & Injury Risk

Menstrual cycle fluctuations can affect energy levels, recovery, and neuromuscular coordination, with some phases increasing fatigue and injury risk due to joint laxity.
Tap the sections below to learn more about its potential causes, effects, and coaching strategies.

4. Psychological & Social Factors: Confidence, Body Image, & Motivation

Psychological and social factors, including confidence, body image concerns, and motivation, can significantly impact an athlete’s performance, especially during adolescence. Negative self-perception, peer comparisons, or frustration over stalled progress may lead to decreased motivation, making a supportive coaching environment and process-focused goals essential for long-term development.
Tap the sections below to learn more about its potential causes, effects, and coaching strategies.

Case Study:
Navigating the Performance Plateau in a 16-Year-Old Female Sprinter

 Athlete Profile: Emma*

• Age: 16

• Event: 100m & 200m

• PB at Age 14: 12.45s (100m), 24.90s (200m)

• Season Best at 16: 12.53s (100m), 25.02s (200m)

• Height at 14: 1.58m → Height at 16: 1.72m

• Changes: Growth spurt, increased body mass, reduced acceleration power, declining confidence

At age 14, Emma was an explosive, powerful sprinter with one of the fastest 100m times in her age group. However, by 16, she had lost her acceleration and struggled with top-end speed, despite maintaining a strong training schedule.

Despite working hard in training, she couldn’t match her old PBs and felt like she was getting slower, heavier, and more frustrated. She described feeling “less powerful” and unable to execute the same sprint mechanics she once had.

Her coach, Jake*, realised that mid-adolescent changes were impacting Emma biomechanics, power output, and confidence. He developed a plan to help her regain her speed.

Causes of Emma’s Performance Plateau

1. Biomechanical Changes: Adapting to Growth & Coordination Loss

• Issue: Growth spurts changed Emma’s limb proportions and centre of mass, affecting her stride efficiency.

• Results:

• Lost acceleration ability – struggled with the first 30m of the race.

• Stride felt ‘off’ – couldn’t generate the same rapid ground contact.

• Arm and leg coordination issues – lacked the mechanics of her younger years.

2. Physiological Changes: Power-to-Weight Ratio & Strength Shifts

• Issue: Increased height and weight slightly altered her power-to-weight ratio, reducing explosive strength.

• Results:

• Sprint starts felt sluggish compared to age 14.

• Acceleration phase was weaker, even though she was technically stronger in the gym.

• Felt more fatigued after training, struggling with recovery and muscle soreness.

3. Psychological Challenges: Frustration & Motivation Loss

• Issue: Emma was mentally stuck, feeling frustrated seeing athletes she was previously better than go past her.

• Results:

• Lost confidence in her ability to explode from the blocks.

• Was hesitant in competition, often underperforming compared to training times.

• Became overly critical of her technique, overthinking every sprint phase.

Jake’s Coaching Intervention: What Worked and What Didn’t

1. Sprint Mechanics & Acceleration Work

✅ What Worked:

Acceleration-Specific Drills:

• Hill sprints (20-30m) to rebuild power out of the blocks.

• Sled sprints (light-mid resistance) to reinforce correct angles at push-off.

Restructuring Her Start Mechanics:

• Altered block settings to match her longer legs.

• Emphasised pushing through the ground rather than rushing to upright posture.

❌ What Didn’t Work:

• Initially focused too much on high-speed sprinting, neglecting acceleration phases.

• Overloaded her with too many technical cues, making her starts feel unnatural.

2. Strength & Power Training Adjustments

✅ What Worked:

Hip & Posterior Chain Development:

• Glute-dominant exercises (hip thrusts, RDLs) to regain explosiveness.

• Sprint-specific bounding drills to reinforce power application.

Contrast Training:

• Combined heavy lifts (squats, cleans) with immediate plyometric work (e.g., squat jumps) for power transfer.

❌ What Didn’t Work:

• Initially tried increasing overall gym volume, which led to over-fatigue.

• Too many general strength exercises and not enough sprint-specific power work.

3. Mental Resilience and Confidence Rebuilding

✅ What Worked:

Process-Driven Goals:

• Shifted focus from PB obsession to small technical wins (e.g., “Hit the right shin angle at push-off”).

Sprint Repetitions with No Clock:

• Removed timing pressure for a few weeks to focus on form and rhythm.

Visualisation & Relaxation Techniques:

• Used race simulations in practice to restore pre-competition confidence.

❌ What Didn’t Work:

• Kept pushing her into high-level competitions before she was mentally ready.

• Tried to force comparisons with her old times, which only added to her frustration.

Emma’s Experience

📅 Months 1-3: Struggles & Adjustments

• Felt awkward in her new sprint mechanics.

• Grew impatient with hill sprints and resisted starts, feeling like she wasn’t improving.

• Lost confidence in her ability to execute a fast start.

📅 Months 4-6: Breakthroughs Begin

• Stride felt smoother as she adapted to her new height.

• Cleared PB in the gym for hip thrusts and power cleans, feeling stronger.

• Started hitting quicker 30m times, regaining acceleration power.

📅 Months 7+: Buying into the Journey

• Ran 12.40s in the 100m, her fastest in two years.

• Began to enjoy racing again, feeling less pressure to match old performances immediately.

• “I feel stronger and more powerful than ever”

Key Takeaways for Coaches

• Puberty affects sprint biomechanics & acceleration—technique must be adapted.

• Strength gains must be sprint-specific, not just general weight room improvements.

• Psychological confidence is critical—athletes must detach from past PB expectations.

• Sprint training should prioritise acceleration first, then transition to max velocity.

By making targeted sprint, strength, and psychological adjustments, Emma regained her confidence, mechanics, and speed, showing that mid-adolescent performance plateaus are not the end of progress, but a phase of adaptation.