Informativeness of indicators of the speed of force development for assessing the special preparedness of armwrestlers

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to determine the informativeness of force development rate indicators and to establish their relationship with the indicators of special preparedness of armwrestlers at the stage of specialized basic training. The relevance of the study is обусловлена the insufficient scientific substantiation of the use of speed-strength characteristics in the system of monitoring athletes’ preparedness in armwrestling despite the important role of rapid force realization in competitive activity. Methods. Armwrestlers at the stage of specialized basic training participated in the study. To solve the research tasks, the following methods were used: analysis and generalization of scientific and methodological literature, pedagogical testing, morphofunctional research methods, tensodynamometry, and methods of mathematical statistics. Morphofunctional indicators, general physical fitness, special strength preparedness, and speed-strength characteristics of athletes were assessed. Using a strain gauge sensor, the indicators of total force (ΣF), rate of force development (J), relative force (F₁), force generated during the first 500 ms of muscle contraction (ΣF₅₀₀), J₅₀₀indicators, and temporal characteristics of force realization were determined. Correlation analysis was applied to identify relationships between the studied indicators. Results. It was found that morphofunctional indicators did not show statistically significant differences between athletes of different preparedness levels (p > 0.05), except for some functional characteristics. At the same time, leading athletes significantly outperformed athletes of the general preparedness group in indicators of general physical fitness, special strength preparedness, and speed-strength preparedness (p < 0.05–0.001). The most pronounced differences were observed in total arm strength, wrist flexion strength, hook exercise, hammer pulling exercise, as well as in the indicators of force development rate J, J₅₀₀, and relative force F₁. It was established that the indicators of force development rate have higher informativeness compared to the absolute temporal characteristics of force realization. Correlation analysis revealed strong relationships between speed-strength indicators and the results of special physical preparedness tests. The highest correlation coefficients were found between J and J₅₀₀ (r = 0.84), as well as between ΣF and F₁ (r = 0.81). Higher J₅₀₀ values and lower time required to achieve half of maximal force (t_0.5F) in leading athletes indicate the important role of rapid force development in the effectiveness of the starting phase of an armwrestling bout.

Conclusions. It was determined that the most informative criteria for evaluating the special preparedness of armwrestlers are the indicators J, J₅₀₀, F₁, and ΣF, which characterize the efficiency of athletes’ speed-strength potential realization. The obtained results confirm the expediency of using tensodynamometric indicators in the system of pedagogical control of armwrestlers at the stage of specialized basic training.