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Published on: March 20, 2012
Body composition and power changes in elite judo athletes.
A M Silva1, D A Fields, S B Heymsfield
1Faculty of Human Kinetics, Technical University of Lisbon, Exercise and Health Laboratory, Cruz-Quebrada, Portugal. analiza@fmh.utl.pt
International Journal of Sports Medicine
|July 21, 2010
Summary
Elite judo athletes experience significant individual changes in body composition before competition. Tracking total-body water and intracellular water is crucial for maintaining upper-body power during weight management.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Human Physiology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Elite judo athletes often undergo body weight adjustments prior to competition.
- Understanding the impact of these changes on physical performance is critical for optimizing training and competition strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the association between body composition changes and upper-body power in elite judo athletes.
- To identify specific body composition variables that correlate with variations in upper-body power from a weight-stable period to pre-competition.
Main Methods:
- Evaluated 27 elite male judo athletes at baseline (weight-stable) and pre-competition.
- Assessed body composition using DXA and water compartments (total body, extracellular, intracellular) via dilution techniques.
- Measured upper-body power using a power-load spectrum in a bench-press position.
Main Results:
- No significant mean changes in body composition or upper-body power were observed, but individual variability was high.
- Total-body water (r=0.672) and intracellular water (r=0.596) were significantly associated with upper-body power variation.
- These associations remained significant even after controlling for weight and arm lean-soft tissue mass.
Conclusions:
- Individual body composition fluctuations, particularly in water compartments, significantly impact upper-body power in judo athletes.
- Monitoring total-body water and intracellular water is essential for elite judo athletes aiming to maintain power output during weight-making phases.
- These findings underscore the importance of personalized monitoring to mitigate performance decrements associated with pre-competition weight management.
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