Canoe polo Athletes' Anthropometric, Physical, Nutritional, and Functional Characteristics and Performance in a...

Understanding the physical, functional, mental, and nutritional attributes of canoe polo athletes is essential for training and development. Forty-three canoe polo athletes (mean age: 21.54 ± 6.03) participated in the study and were assessed for: anthropometric measurements, exercise motivation, eating habits, adherence to the Mediterranean Diet, and physical and functional abilities. Correlation and multivariate analysis were conducted. Individual performance in a rowing task showed body mass index (β = 0.41) and female gender (β = 0.34) to be the strongest anthropometric predictors, whereas body fat (β = -0.35) and triceps brachii skinfold fatty tissue (β = -0.35) were the strongest negative predictors. Pushing strength (β = 0.37) and range of motion with internal rotation (β = 0.30) were the strongest physical predictors. The physical dimension of the Exercise Motivation Index was a significant psychosocial predictor (β = 0.27). Senior participants had a higher waist-hip ratio (p = 0.04, d = 0.66), arm circumference (p = 0.03, d = 0.68), handgrip strength (p < 0.01, d = 1.27), and push strength (p < 0.01, d = 1.42) than under 21-year-olds. Understanding the highlighted sport-specific characteristics of canoe polo athletes can help trainers to design programs at all levels to optimize performance.