Motor Competence in Individuals with Down Syndrome: Is an Improvement Still Possible in Adulthood?

In children, motor competence (MC) and the amount of physical activity are tightly interconnected. In adults with Down syndrome (DS), MC has been poorly addressed, resulting in a limited understanding of the possibility to improve MC over time. Here, we aim to: (1) investigate MC in adults with DS by comparing them with a group of typically developed peers and (2) verify the effect of an adapted karate program on MC. Adults with DS (DSG; n = 57) and typically developed adults (TDG; n = 21) performed the Test of Gross Motor Development version 3 (TGMD-3). The total TGMD-3 score ( TOT TGMD-3), the locomotor ( LOC TGMD-3), and object control ( OBJ TGMD-3) scores were computed. After a 40 week adapted karate program, DSG ( n = 37) underwent the post-training TGMD-3 assessment. Compared to TDG, DSG showed lower TOT TGMD-3 (DSG: 45.5 ± 17.3; TDG: 77.3 ± 9.5), LOC TGMD-3 (DSG: 22.2 ± 10.0; TDG: 36.2 ± 7.6) and OBJ TGMD-3 (DSG: 23.3 ± 10.9; TDG: 41.1 ± 5.6). After the training, TOT TGMD-3, LOC TGMD-3 and OBJ TGMD-3 increased by 35.6%, 30.0% and 40.7%, respectively. Our results suggest that MC acquisition does not evolve into a mature form in adulthood in individuals with DS. Moreover, a brief exposure to an adapted karate program induces an increase in motor competence in DS, even in adulthood.