Anthropometric and Neuromuscular Characteristics of Breakers Across Different Performance Levels: An Exploratory...

The inclusion of breaking in the 2024 Olympic Games has accelerated the professionalization of the dancesport, leading to increased support from elite sport systems. However, evidence on performance-relevant physiological characteristics remains limited, hindering the development of performance testing and support interventions.

This exploratory study examined anthropometric and neuromuscular characteristics across three performance levels in German breakers to assess the feasibility of a field-based testing battery and explore whether commonly used athletic field tests show differences across performance levels.

Exploratory cross-sectional study.

Seventy-four athletes (21 females, 53 males) completed anthropometric (height, seated height, body mass, limb lengths, age, experience) and neuromuscular tests (countermovement jump [CMJ], drop jump [DJ30], isometric mid-thigh pull [IMTP], grip strength, pull-ups, seated medicine ball push, core strength, T-Agility, Y-Balance Tests [YBT-LE, YBT-UE], Knee-to-Wall, Jefferson Curl). Athletes were classified as elite according to criteria of the national governing body. Analyses focused on group differences to assess the test battery's discriminative potential.

Elite (n=13; age: 25.9±5.1 yrs; experience: 13.2±5.0 yrs), developmental (n=39; age: 19.6±5.8 yrs; experience: 8.5±4.8 yrs), and recreational (n=22; age: 21.2±6.2 yrs; experience: 8.4±4.4 yrs) athletes were compared. No significant differences were found in body mass or limb lengths, though seated height was lower in elite than recreational athletes (p=0.014). Elites showed superior mobility in Jefferson Curl (p<0.001) and ankle dorsiflexion (left: p=0.004; right: p=0.003). Among neuromuscular tests, only DJ30 ground contact time differed, with elites showing shorter times than developmental (p=0.002) and recreational (p=0.019) athletes. No significant differences were observed for CMJ, IMTP, grip strength, medicine ball push, pull-ups, T-Agility, core strength, or YBT composition scores. Sex differences favored males in strength and power, while females showed greater mobility.

In this exploratory sample, elite breakers tended to differ from developmental and recreational athletes mainly in seated height, reactive jump performance, and mobility. Conventional athletic tests showed limited discriminatory value, suggesting that breaking-specific tests integrating physical and artistic dimensions are required to capture performance determinants in this dancesport.

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