Relationships between anthropometric features, body composition, and anaerobic alactic power in elite post-pubertal and mature male taekwondo athletes

Abstract

PurposeThe paper describes the relationships between anthropometric features, body composition, and anaerobic alactic power (AAP) in elite post-pubertal and mature male taekwondo athletes.MethodsThe sample of 41 taekwondo athletes was divided into two groups: post-pubertal (P-P, <i>n</i> = 19, M<sub>age</sub> = 15.6 ± 1.1 years) and mature (M, <i>n</i> = 22, M<sub>age</sub> = 20.7 ± 2.8 years). Anthropometric features (WB-150, ZPU Tryb-Wag, Poland), body composition (BC-418 MA, Tanita, Japan), maturational status (Pubertal Maturational Observational Scale), and AAP (10-s version of the Wingate Anaerobic Test) were assessed.ResultsPost-hoc testing revealed significant between-group differences (3.2–20.4%, <i>p</i> < 0.01) in all anthropometric and body composition measures, with effect sizes (ES) between −0.79 and −1.25 (<i>p</i> < 0.001), except for fat content and percentage of skeletal muscle mass (SMM) (<i>p</i> 0.05). In group M, the maximal power output (P<sub>max</sub>) was greater (ES = −1.15, <i>p</i> < 0.001) and the time of its attainment shorter (ES = 0.59, <i>p</i> < 0.001) than in group P-P. Correlation analyses indicated notably strong associations between body mass (BM) and P<sub>max</sub> in group P-P (<i>r</i> = 0.950 [95% CI, 0.85–0.98], <i>p</i> < 0.001) and M (<i>r</i> = 0.926 [95% CI, 0.81–0.97], <i>p</i> < 0.001), and similar-sized strong correlations between fat-free mass (FFM) and P<sub>max</sub> in group P-P (<i>r</i> = 0.955 [95% CI, 0.86–0.99], <i>p</i> < 0.001) and M (<i>r</i> = 0.924 [95% CI, 0.82–0.96], <i>p</i> < 0.001). Additionally, a strong correlation was found between body height and P<sub>max</sub> in groups P-P and M (<i>r</i> = 0.805 [95% CI, 0.54–0.92], <i>p</i> < 0.001 and <i>r</i> = 0.819 [95% CI, 0.58–0.93], <i>p</i> < 0.001, respectively). Linear regression analyses demonstrated that FFM, BM, and absolute SMM best explained the variance in P<sub>max</sub> in both groups (<i>r</i>, 0.939–0.951; <i>r</i><sup>2</sup>, 0.882–0.909).ConclusionsThe strong correlations observed in both groups between BM, FFM, SMM, and P<sub>max</sub> demonstrate the significant effects of body size and composition on AAP. By determining the current levels of these measures for individual athletes and via regressive modelling, one can anticipate the individual developmental dynamics of AAP. On the basis of anthropometric profiling, we recommend the recruitment and selection of tall and lean individuals with high anaerobic predisposition in taekwondo. Such a profile may enable coaches to better predict future athlete development, particularly in AAP.