Absolute and Relative Strength, Power and Physiological Characteristics of Indian Junior National-Level Judokas

Abstract

The physical qualities that underpin successful junior judokas requires continuing investigation. We investigated the physical and physiological characteristics of junior national level judokas. We tested 25 (15 male, 10 female) Indian judokas for absolute and relative strength (back-squat and bench-press one-repetition maximum (1RM) as well as isometric handgrip), aerobic (RAMP test) and lower-body anaerobic power (Wingate 6-s sprint and countermovement jump), change-of-direction (5-0-5 test) and speed (30 m sprint). Athletes were grouped according to national-level competition placing (gold-medal winners (GM; n = 8), all medal winners (MW; n = 13), non-medallists (NM; n = 12), and NM plus silver and bronze; all others (AO; n = 17)). Stepwise discriminant function analysis determined characteristics likely to predict successful performance. Independent t-tests and effect size (Hedge’s g) analyses were performed between groups. GM demonstrated greater lower-body absolute (20.0%; g = 0.87, p = 0.046) and relative 1RM strength (21.0%; g = 0.87, p = 0.047), and greater lower-body absolute (25.4%; g=1.32, p=0.004) and relative (27.3%; g = 1.27, p = 0.005) anaerobic power compared to AO. Furthermore, anaerobic power can correctly predict 76.5% and 62.5% of AO and GM athletes, respectively. No differences were observed between MW and NM groups. The results suggest the importance of lower-body strength and power for junior national-level judokas and provides information for professionals working with these athletes.

The Influence of Acute Sprint Interval Training on Cognitive Performance of Healthy Younger Adults

“…Verbal encouragement was given during all sprints. Based on previous studies [ 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 ], the resistance of the Wattbike was set to 1 and 10 for the magnetic- and air-braked resistances, respectively (equating to 704 ± 5.4 Watt at 110 revolutions per minute [ 48 ]). As frequently done in comparable studies (for review, see Reference [ 2 ]), in the control condition, the participants were asked to sit quietly in a comfortable chair and read for the same period of time (20 min, also known as cognitive engagement control [ 2 ]).…”

Neuromuscular adaptations to different set configurations during a periodized power training block in elite junior Judokas

“…For instance, our participants were considerably older (∼4 years), with more training experience than the participants in Fukuda et al 38 It is feasible that younger athletes with lower training ages may be more sensitive to CMJ improvements via neurological adaptations or improved biomechanical proficiency. 39 Nevertheless, despite the conflicting evidence, CMJ testing should be considered a useful metric for elite Judokas, particularly considering that lower body anaerobic power is a key factor underpinning successful competition outcomes, 9,40 and may also differentiate domestic from international-level competitors. 41 This study is among a handful to explore the effects of traditional periodized sequencing on neuromuscular outcomes among elite Judo athletes and, to our knowledge, is the only study comparing two different set configurations during a subsequent 4-week power training mesocycle in Judokas, despite a similar study being completed in active university students.…”

“…For instance, our participants were considerably older (∼4 years), with more training experience than the participants in Fukuda et al 38 It is feasible that younger athletes with lower training ages may be more sensitive to CMJ improvements via neurological adaptations or improved biomechanical proficiency. 39 Nevertheless, despite the conflicting evidence, CMJ testing should be considered a useful metric for elite Judokas, particularly considering that lower body anaerobic power is a key factor underpinning successful competition outcomes, 9,40 and may also differentiate domestic from international-level competitors. 41…”

“…[5][6][7][8] In Judo specifically, we have recently shown that superior lower body absolute and relative powergenerating capabilities differentiate elite-level junior medal winners from non-medalists. 9 Thus, training strategies that optimize neuromuscular power qualities appear to be an important factor in the success of Judoka athletes. However, few studies have investigated the effects of specific power training strategies to improve neuromuscular upper-and lower-body power in elite-level Judoka athletes.…”

Exploring the Relationship between Anaerobic and Morphological Characteristics and Competition Success in Young Male Slovenian Judo Athletes

“…In judo, both Wingate tests for the lower body [42] and for the upper body [43] are used. However, the research on anaerobic power and capacity in young judokas is very limited [44][45][46][47], especially with the scarce use of upper body Wingate test evaluation. The lack of research on young judokas' anaerobic characteristics could also be the reason why we have only senior judokas upper body Wingate test classificatory tables.…”