Introduction: Speed of movement refers to the max. speed of moves that an individual is able to perform, associated with the optimal activation of muscle fibers. It increases until the age of 15 in girls and 18 in boys, with the fastest rate 6–14 years of age. In boys, 2 periods of a particularly intense increase in speed are observed: 7–10 and 13–15 years of age.
The aim of the study was to assess the level of speed in girls and boys aged 9–10-years-old from school groups with an extended physical education program and those from regular groups.
Materials and methods: This study, performed every year 2003–2013, involved 470 children aged 9–10 years, finishing the 3rd year of the primary school. A 30 m run and long jump were used to test the speed of the children. The study method was based on the selected elements of the Denisiuk test.
Results: The tests showed that boys were faster than girls. Every year, they obtained better average score for the 30 m run and tests. The lowest difference between sexes was noted in 2013. We also demonstrated that almost in all years the candidates for cross-country skiers were faster than the students assigned to groups with no extra sports classes.
Conclusions: Our study confirmed higher speed in 9–10-year-old boys than in girls, especially in long jump tests. Children with higher fitness level were faster than their less active peers. The deterioration of speed test results in the subsequent years of the study is an unfavorable trend that requires further long-term research.
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