Predicting the Unknown and the Unknowable. Are Anthropometric Measures and Fitness Profile Associated with the Outcome of a Simulated CrossFit® Competition?

Abstract

The main objective of this research was to find associations between the outcome of a simulated CrossFit® competition, anthropometric measures, and standardized fitness tests. Ten experienced male CrossFit® athletes (age 28.8 ± 3.5 years; height 175 ± 10.0 cm; weight 80.3 ± 12.5 kg) participated in a simulated CrossFit® competition with three benchmark workouts (“Fran”, “Isabel”, and “Kelly”) and underwent fitness tests. Participants were tested for anthropometric measures, sit and reach, squat jump (SJ), countermovement jump (CMJ), and Reactive Strength Index (RSI), and the load (LOAD) corresponding to the highest mean power value (POWER) in the snatch, bench press, and back squat exercises was determined using incremental tests. A bivariate correlation test and k-means cluster analysis to group individuals as either high-performance (HI) or low performance (LO) via Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were carried out. Pearson’s correlation coefficient two-tailed test showed that the only variable correlated with the final score was the snatch LOAD (p < 0.05). Six performance variables (SJ, CMJ, RSI, snatch LOAD, bench press LOAD, and back squat LOAD) explained 74.72% of the variance in a k= 2 means cluster model. When CrossFit® performance groups HI and LO were compared to each other, t-test revealed no difference at a p ≤ 0.05 level. Snatch maximum power LOAD and the combination of six physical fitness tests partially explained the outcome of a simulated CrossFit competition. Coaches and practitioners can use these findings to achieve a better fit of the practices and workouts designed for their athletes.

CrossFit®: ‘Unknowable’ or Predictable?—A Systematic Review on Predictors of CrossFit® Performance

“…The majority of the includes studies focus on determining variables associated with performance or ranking at the ‘CrossFit ® Open’ or ‘CrossFit ® Games’ held in the years 2016 [ 50 , 64 ], 2017 [ 60 ], 2018 [ 51 ], 2019 [ 53 , 61 , 67 ], and 2020 [ 40 , 62 ]. Additionally, the common Benchmark performances (‘Cindy’, ‘Donkey Kong’, ‘Fran’, ‘Grace’, ‘Isabel’, ‘Kelly’, ‘Murph’, and ‘Nancy’) [ 37 , 55 , 56 , 58 , 59 , 61 , 63 , 65 , 66 , 68 ], as well as other usually performed WOD modalities (AMRAP or FT), are investigated [ 54 , 57 ]. The performance of the WOD ‘Fran’ is considered most frequently in seven studies [ 37 , 55 , 56 , 61 , 63 , 65 , 66 ].…”

Assessment of Cardiorespiratory and Metabolic Contributions in an Extreme Intensity CrossFit® Benchmark Workout

“…Isabel stands as a timed CrossFit ® benchmark workout, challenging participants to complete 30 snatch repetitions with a 61 kg barbell in the shortest time possible. Widely employed for evaluating performance improvements in CrossFitters, this workout is renowned for its substantial muscular power demands [ 31 ]. However, to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the effects of workout intensity on the specific training performance of CrossFitters, more detailed physiological assessments, such as [La − ] and cardiorespiratory parameters, are essential [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 21 ].…”

Análise dos músculos mastigatórios por meio da eletromiografia de superfície em atletas de Crossfit®

“…Com a adaptação da vida moderna, a preocupação com a aparência, o sedentarismo e a prevenção de comorbidades tem colaborado para o crescimento exponencial da procura por exercícios físicos (LICHTENSTEIN et al, 2016;PEÑA et al, 2021) POSTON et al, 2016;SANDLAND et al, 2018;SOUZA et al, 2021).…”

“…De caráter desafiador e motivacional o Crossfit ® permite a prática apesar das diferentes idades, níveis de habilidade e condicionamento, justificando o ganho gradual de praticantes (HECK et al, 2018;SANDLAND et al, 2018;PEÑA et al, 2021). Cada sessão objetiva as dez atribuições do condicionamento físico, sendo eles: resistência cardiorrespiratória, resistência muscular, força, flexibilidade, potência, velocidade, coordenação, agilidade, equilíbrio e precisão, otimizando a competência física de seus praticantes (CROSSFIT, 2018).…”

“…Estudos demonstram o impacto positivo da prática regular do Crossfit ® no ganho de aptidão física e condicionamento cardiorrespiratório, além de um grande aliado na neutralização de comorbidades e transtornos mentais, promovendo qualidade de vida, psicológica e social após seis meses de prática regular (LICHTENSTEIN et al, 2016;SANDLAND et al, 2018;PEÑA et al, 2021).…”