Sex and Age-Group Differences in Strength, Jump, Speed, Flexibility, and Endurance Performances of Swedish Elite Gymnasts Competing in TeamGym

• Purpose: To analyze sex and age group differences in strength, jump, speed, flexibility, and endurance performances of TeamGym athletes.Methods: A total of 91 Swedish elite gymnasts (junior female,n=26, age=15.4 y;senior female,n=23, age=20.0 y; junior male,n=19, age=15.6 y; senior male,n=23, age=20.6 y) participated in three testing sessions on three separate days. These were: (1) a series of flexibility tests for the lower- and upper-body; (2) strength tests forthe lower- and upper-body; and (3) various types of jumps, a 20-m sprint-run, and a3,000-m run test.Results: Males were 24% stronger in the back squat one-repetition maximum (relativeto body mass) compared to females (P<0.001,Hg=1.35). In the pull-ups and dips, 2.4and 2.3 times more repetitions were completed by the males compared to the females(bothP<0.001, 0.70≤R≤0.77). However, females were similarly strong as males in the hanging sit-ups test (P=0.724). The males jumped 29, 34, 33, and 17% higher in the squat jump (SJ), countermovement jump (CMJ), countermovement jump with armswing (CMJa), and drop jump (DJ), respectively, compared to the females (allP≤0.002,0.14≤η2p≤0.60). In the 20-m sprint run, males were 4% faster than females (P<0.001,R=0.40). Moreover, the females had significantly better flexibility than the males in the trunk forward bending, front split, and side split tests (allP<0.001, 0.24≤η2p≤0.54).In the 3,000-m run test, males were 11% faster than females (P<0.001,η2p≤0.54). Compared to junior athletes, seniors performed better in the pull-ups, dips, SJ, CMJ,CMJa, and 20-m sprint-run tests (allP≤0.012, 0.31≤R≤0.56, 0.16≤η2p≤0.25), with separate within-sex age-group differences (i.e., juniorsvs. seniors) that were significantfor the males but not for the females in the SJ, CMJ, CMJa, and 20-m sprint-run tests (males: allP<0.001, 0.67≤R≤0.69, 1.37≤Hg≤2.01; females: allP=0.298–732).Conclusions: Large sex and age-group differences were observed for most physicalperformance metrics with specific within-sex age-group differences only observed formale athletes, with male seniors performing better than juniors in the SJ, CMJ, CMJa,and 20-m sprint-run tests

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Idrottsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Sport and Fitness Sciences (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Athletic performance

code of points

gymnastics

muscle strength

physical fitness

testing

gender

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