Explosive Muscle Power Assessment in Elite Athletes Using Wingate Anaerobic Test

Abstract

Introduction: Maximal effort physiological tests provide information about the current functional capacity of athletes. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate anaerobic performance parameters in elite athletes and to compare them in terms of the specific demands of each sport. We also created and applied the new software which enables us to quantify a new parameter -explosive muscle power (EP), a major component in sports requiring explosive bursts of movement lasting from a few seconds to 1 or 2 minutes. This new parameter reflects the velocity of energy transformation from intramuscular ATP and high-energy phosphates into mechanical power. Methods: All Wingate test parameters (standard parameters) -anaerobic power (AP), anaerobic capacity (AC), and explosive power (EP) as the new parameter were recorded in 104 subjects: 30 non-athletes and 74 athletes divided into different groups depending on their sport specialty (20 rowers, 28 wrestlers and 26 soccer players). Results: Anaerobic power (AP), anaerobic capacity (AC) and explosive power (EP) were significantly higher in the group of athletes compared to non-athletes. Among athletes, significant differences were observed in some parameters according to the type of activities they are involved in. The highest values were recorded in the group of wrestlers (AP=836W; AC=16.6kJ; EP=139W/s). The values of AP (absolute values) and EP (absolute and relative values) were significantly higher in wrestlers than in soccer players and rowers, but there was no significant difference in AC among these groups. The EP variable had a distribution similar to AP. Conclusions: Alongside anaerobic power and anaerobic capacity, the assessment of explosive power may complement the anaerobic profile of athletes. Experts in the field of sports medicine and exercise physiology could find these results useful in improving test variables, which are more important for specific sports, and for evaluating and monitoring training progress. Level of Evidence I; Diagnostic studies -Investigating a diagnostic test.

Determining the Dynamic Balance, Maximal Aerobic Capacity, and Anaerobic Power Output of University Soccer and Rugby Players: A Cross-Sectional Comparative Study

“…Soccer and rugby games include numerous short, explosive exercise bursts followed by shorter recovery intervals over an extended period (90 minutes). During football and rugby contests, aerobic and anaerobic energy systems must be activated to meet muscle energy demands [17]. This study confirms earlier findings on the differences in mean power values elicited throughout the test.…”

“…These anaerobic components of energy capacity may be tested in a variety of methods, with varying degrees of accuracy. [17]. The vertical jump test is the most popular way to assess anaerobic power output.…”

Normative Data of the Wingate Anaerobic Test in 1 Year Age Groups of Male Soccer Players

“…The Wingate anaerobic test (WAnT) has been a major laboratory test of short-term high-intensity performance in the field of soccer exercise physiology/exercise testing ( Al-Hazzaa et al, 2001 ; Meckel et al, 2009 ). This test has been shown to differentiate soccer players from athletes of other sports ( Kalinski et al, 2002 ; Harbili, 2015 ; Jakovljević et al, 2018 ). Also, it discriminated soccer players with cerebral palsy from their healthy peers and general population, too ( Yanci et al, 2016 ).…”

Association Of Explosive Power And Endurance Among Cricketers Of State Level

“…Studies by Johnstone in the year (2010) on explosive power differences in batsmen and bowlers showed negligible differences among them [10]. Jakovljevic (2018), through his studies, concluded, "explosive power is an essential prerequisite for sports that demand explosiveness and fast maximal energy production and finds need to be incorporated for planning and training, performance prediction and talent identification in various sports" [11].…”