Završnik, J.. et al.: Children’s muscle composition: a bibliometrics study… Sport Science 7 (2014) 2: 7‐11 7 CHILDREN’S MUSCLE COMPOSITION: A BIBLIOMETRICS STUDY OF LITERATURE PRODUCTION Jernej Završnik 1 , Peter Kokol 2 , Rado Pišot 3 and Helena Blažun 4 1 Dr. Adolf Drolc Healthcare Center, Maribor, Slovenia 2 FERI, University of Maribor, Slovenia 3 Science and Research Centre of Koper, University of Primorska, Koper, Slovenia 4 Center for International Cooperation,University of Maribor, Slovenia Original scientific paper Abstract Objectives: Unhealthy lifestyles and exercise deficit disorders negatively impact societies in general, as well as individuals’ health, social, cultural, and physical status and in respect to this matter childhood is a very sensitive period. Summarizing the research focused in children’s physical exercise behaviour and consequently in their bodies growth, development, and muscle compositions may provide a snapshot of this field for the experts dealing with children. Methods: In relation to the muscle composition, sport is of significant importance and the aim of this paper is to quantitatively analyse the research literature from this area by using bibliometric analysis. Results: The production of papers was clearly increasing, however it was published by many different researchers coming from more than 170 institutions, 29 countries, and the research was published in 70 different journals. The research papers became shorter but on the other hand there were positive trends in the number of references, number of authors, number of institutions and countries per paper. Conclusions: This analysis revealed that research in the field of childrens’ muscle compositions related to sport is increasing; however it is highly dispersed and incoherent; the number of authors and references per paper are increasing, the average age of references is decreasing and the papers’ production is becoming more international, additionally bibliometrics proved to be a useful tool for those who need a quick overview of research and its utilisation, and as a starting point for integrative literature reviews and more exhaustive data, information, and knowledge seeking. Key words: muscle composition, children, sport, bibliometric Introduction Unhealthy lifestyles and exercise deficit disorders negatively impact societies in general as well as individuals’ health, social, cultural, and physical status. In respect to this matter, childhood is a very sensitive period characterised by various dynamic changes in physiological and psychological development, as well as the establishment of healthy or unhealthy behaviour (Faigenbaum & Myer, 2012), which is further characterised by alarming proportions of obesity rates in the young (Harriger & Thompson, 2012). Children and adolescents should participate in moderate-to-vigorous, age appropriate, enjoyable, and varied physical activities at least one hour per day and strengthen their muscles and bones at least three times a week. Adequate exercise when young improves strength, cardio-respiratory fitness, and body composition (Pišot, et al., 2004; Landry & Driscol, 2012). From amongst them body composition in relation to sport is of significant importance (Lubans & Cliff, 2011), and therefore the aim of the present paper is to quantitatively analyse scientific papers productions within this area. In the Methods section we briefly introduce bibliometric analysis and its usage during our methodological approach. In the Results section we present a detailed overview of the results and conclude the paper with the more important observations and conclusions. Methods The research question posed in this paper is stated in the following form: What is the volume and scope of literary production in the area of children’s muscle compositions in relation to sports research and how are the production patterns expressed by various bibliometrics’ indicators. In order to answer the above question we had first to select an appropriate analysis framework, and we decided on bibliometric analysis, a known but rarely used method within the area of sports research. The basic unit of this kind of analysis is called the “information source”, which can usually be a journal or a conference paper but can also be a research report or, in general, any kind of published written text. The object of bibliometric analysis is to analyse those basic units within a given scientific context (field, discipline, or area) using mathematical and statistical methods, in the manner of determining various bibliometrics’ indicators such as the most prolific entities, features of the information sources, the rates of literary production over time, citation counts, or more general patterns such as the history and structure of a scientific field, the flow of information, patterns of collaboration amongst scientists, and the impact of journals (Pritchard, 1969; Garfield, 2006; de Bellis, 2009). In this paper we are mainly interested in the bibliometrics’ indicators enumerated above. Using the search string “muscle composition child*