Biomechanical Aspects of Postural Disorders in the System of Long-Term Training of Young Athletes

Abstract

The improvement of physical and swimming preparedness of young swimmers at the initial stage of training is widely presented in contemporary scientific research; however, the issue of its relationship with different postural types remains insufficiently studied. Most studies focus on age- and sex-related characteristics of physical development and the formation of basic swimming skills, while posture is mainly considered in the context of general physical development or the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders. The purpose of the study was to determine the influence of age, sex, and postural type on the level of physical and swimming preparedness of young swimmers. Methods: testing, mathematical processing of the results, and factor analysis. A comparative analysis of tests assessing speed, agility, flexibility, and speed-strength qualities in young swimmers aged 7–9 years showed that the level of development of these qualities is primarily determined by age and sex, whereas postural type does not act as a stable factor differentiating the results. At the same time, the level of static endurance of the trunk and lower limbs in young swimmers is mainly determined by age-related developmental patterns and sex differences, while postural type does not modify age or sex trends in the manifestation of endurance. Regarding swimming preparedness, a pronounced contribution of age and sex to the overall variability of results was established, whereas the role of postural type was revealed selectively in certain age- and sex-specific groups. The obtained results make it possible to characterize young swimmers aged 7–9 years as a group with pronounced age- and sex-related differences in physical and specific swimming preparedness. With regard to postural type, its contribution in most tests of general physical preparedness was either statistically insignificant or relatively small compared to the influence of age and sex. At the same time, differences between groups with different postural types may manifest themselves in specific age- and sex-related groups in terms of swimming preparedness. This indicates that postural deviations may become an important factor for the quality of body positioning, alignment control, and stabilization in the aquatic environment, especially at the early stages of mastering swimming skills.