Relationships between the parameters of physical development, speed and strength fitness, and special work capacity of highly skilled combat athletes

Objective: Study of relationships between the parameters of physical development, speed and strength fitness, and special work capacity of highly skilled wrestlers at the pre-competitive preparation stage.

Material and methods: The study involved highly skilled freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestlers and judokas – Candidate Masters (CM), Masters of Sport (МS), International Masters of Sport (IМS), and Merited Masters of Sport (МMS) aged 18 to 31 years. From 13 to 76 highly skilled wrestlers were examined in different indices. To characterize the physical fitness structure (PFS) of wrestlers the indices of physical development, speed and strength fitness, and special work capacity were recorded at the pre-competitive preparation stage. To evaluate physical work capacity, wrestlers performed specialized tests with throws of a partner of equal weight at the maximum speed - in 3 series of 15 throws each. All in all 86 indices of PFS of combat athletes were registered.

Results: It was revealed that the qualification of combat athletes is one of the key determinants specifying the relationship between the PFS parameters and the level of wrestlers’ special work capacity; appropriate models have been developed. PFS improvement in wrestlers' professional development is characterized not only by the development of individual indices of its morphological and speed and strength component, but a change of their ratios, partial role, and interrelations. This reflects one of the mechanisms of PFS reorganization aimed at providing a high level of special work capacity of combat athletes in the process of enhancing their qualification. The key criteria of morphofunctional reserves of highly skilled wrestlers include a) decreased percentage of fat and increased muscle and bone components, muscular development index; b) increasing speed and strength qualities and stability of high work capacity maintenance during a specialized test; c) increasing the specific weight of the special work capacity factor in PFS of combat athletes.

Conclusions: The qualification of combat athletes is one of the key determinants specifying the level of development and interrelation of morphofunctional and speed and strength parameters of the PFS with the level of special work capacity of highly skilled wrestlers. The improvement of the PFS of highly skilled wrestlers is characterized by a decrease in the fat component, an increase in the body circumferences and muscle component, an increase in the speed and strength qualities, and special work capacity.