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Anthropometric characteristics and neuromuscular function in young judo athletes by sex, age and weight category

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of the study was to examine anthropometric characteristics and neuromuscular function in young judo athletes by sex, age and weight category.

Methods

146 child and cadet judo athletes were examined for height, body mass (BM), body fat percentage (BF), countermovement jump (CMJ), sit-and-reach (SAR) test and handgrip muscle strength (HMS).

Results

The results showed that male adolescents were taller, had more HMS, and less BF and flexibility than girls. Significant differences in the sex and weight category were observed, chiefly in BF and body mass index. There were no differences in time to peak force of HMS and CMJ.

Conclusions

Based on these findings, special attention should be put to heavy BM categories targeting low BF and high muscle mass, which might contribute to improved neuromuscular function and in turn contribute to the dynamics randori. This study might help profiling the young judoka taking into account sex, age and BM category.

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Acknowledgments

We thank all participants, their parents and coaches for their collaboration.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the local institutional review board (Catholic University San Antonio of Murcia) and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Group Research Science and Sport SEJ-470, University of Jaén, Jaén, Spain

    Gema Torres-Luque

  2. Judo Coach & Personal Trainer, Murcia, Spain

    R. Hernandez-Garcia

  3. Faculty of Health and Sport Science, University of Zaragoza, Huesca, Spain

    N. Garatachea

  4. Department of Physical and Cultural Education, Hellenic Army Academy, Athens, Greece

    P. T. Nikolaidis

Authors
  1. Gema Torres-Luque
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  2. R. Hernandez-Garcia
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  3. N. Garatachea
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  4. P. T. Nikolaidis
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gema Torres-Luque.

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Torres-Luque, G., Hernandez-Garcia, R., Garatachea, N. et al. Anthropometric characteristics and neuromuscular function in young judo athletes by sex, age and weight category. Sport Sci Health 11, 117–124 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-015-0218-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-015-0218-0

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