Journal Article

THE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG GYMNASTS’ TRAINING AGE, BODY MASS INDEX, BALANCE CONTROL, AND GYMNASTICS PERFORMANCE

Milosis, Dimitrios, Siatras, Theophanis, Dallas, George, Kosmidou, Evdoxia

2024

Overview

The aim of the study was the examination of the relationships among gymnasts’ training age, body mass index (BMI), balance control during the execution of handstand, standing scale forward, and stork standing in relevé position, and their performance in competition settings. Forty young competitive gymnasts (20 males; age: 12.20 ± 1.98 years, and 20 females; age: 12.33 ± 2.07 years, mean ± SD) participated in this study. A portable digital platform for posturography was used to measure maximal pressure, center of pressure (CoP) sway area, CoP linear distance displacement and CoP velocity. The resulting data were analyzed using an integrated software module (Foot Checker, version 4.0). The results confirm the reliability of the measurements. Strong positive correlations were found between gymnasts' performance in the gymnastics competition, and their training age and BMI, with relationships also identified between performance and variables related to balance control. Regression analysis revealed that gymnasts' training age, BMI, and balance control in performing the assessed gymnastics skills had predictive significance in determining their performance in the competition, taking into account differences between age groups. Despite the limitations of the study, the results represent a valuable contribution to the literature by expanding knowledge about predicting gymnastics performance in competition. Furthermore, the results provide evidence for the identification of talent in gymnasts, offer coaches insights to improve training efficiency, and provide recommendations for future research in this area. Namen raziskave je bil preučiti povezave med leti vadbe telovadcev, indeksom telesne mase (ITM), nadzorom ravnotežja med izvajanjem stoje na rokah, razovke stojno zanožno in stoji na eni nogi v vzponu ter njihovo uspešnost v tekmovalnih okoljih. V tej raziskavi je sodelovalo 40 mladih  telovadcev in telovadk (20 moških; starost: 12,20 ± 1,98 let in 20 žensk; starost: 12,33 ± 2,07 let, povprečje ± SD). Prenosna pritiskovna plošča je bila uporabljena za merjenje najvišjega tlaka, območja nihanja središča tlaka (CoP), premika premočrtne razdalje CoP in hitrosti CoP. Dobljene podatke smo razčlenili z vgrajenim programom (Foot Checker, različica 4.0). Rezultati potrjujejo zanesljivost meritev. Ugotovljene so bile močne pozitivne povezave med uspešnostjo telovadcev na tekmovanju ter njihovimi leti vadbe in ITM, pri čemer so bila ugotovljena tudi razmerja med uspešnostjo in spremenljivkami, povezanimi z nadzorom ravnotežja. Regresijska metoda je pokazala, da imajo leta vadbe, ITM in nadzor ravnotežja pri izvajanju telovadnih prvin napovedni pomen pri določanju njihove uspešnosti na tekmovanju, ob upoštevanju razlik med starostnimi skupinami. Kljub omejitvam raziskave rezultati predstavljajo dragocen prispevek k literaturi z razširitvijo znanja o napovedovanju telovadne uspešnosti na tekmovanju. Poleg tega rezultati zagotavljajo dokaze za prepoznavanje nadarjenosti pri telovadcih, vaditeljem ponujajo vpogled v izboljšanje učinkovitosti vadbe in dajejo priporočila za prihodnje raziskave na tem področju.

• Publisher: University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Sport,University of Ljubljana Press (Založba Univerze v Ljubljani)
• Subject: Age / balancing ability / Body mass index / Coaches & managers / Computer platforms / Gymnastics / gymnastics competition / gymnasts / Integrated software / Males / Posture / posturography / prediction / Skills / Velocity