University of Split, Faculty of Kinesiology, Split, Croatia.
Laboratory for Applied Physiology, Sport Systems, Talents Development and Influence of Physical Activities on Health, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Split, Split, Croatia.
Eur J Sport Sci. 2021 Apr;21(4):471-480. doi: 10.1080/17461391.2020.1744735. Epub 2020 Apr 7.
Reducing bodyweight within a short-time participating in kicking combat sports can adversely affect health. This study's aim creating an improved model to categorize athletes in kicking combat sports. The investigation focused on 795 athletes (11-24 years), participating in the Croatian National Taekwondo Championship. The sample included athletes from both sexes (371 males), cadets ( = 325), juniors ( = 247) and seniors ( = 223). Data were collected during the preparatory period and prior to the athletes competing, using a bioelectrical impedance analysis device. According to current categorization rules, athletes are categorized by arbitrarily determined ranges in bodyweight, whereas, in this current study, the authors have devised an improved model, based on body height and the analysis of data collected. The difference in coefficients between the official model and the proposed, improved categorization method in terms of body height (2.70 and 0.71, respectively), showed that the improved model homogenized athletes almost four times more than the official model, reducing the maximal difference in body height from 29 to 9 cm within specific categories. Proposed, improved model had same number of categories as the official structure and directly homogenized differences in height within a category up to a 3-cm maximum for the middle categories and a 9-cm on the periphery of the bands. We expect this improved combat sports categorization model will indirectly reduce differences between other longitudinal body dimensions within categories (thus making match results less predictable) as well as reduce bodyweight manipulation potentially endangering athletes' health.
在参与踢打格斗运动的短时间内减轻体重可能会对健康产生不利影响。本研究旨在创建一种改进的模型，对踢打格斗运动的运动员进行分类。该研究的调查对象是参加克罗地亚全国跆拳道锦标赛的 795 名运动员（11-24 岁），其中包括男运动员 371 名，学员 325 名，青少年运动员 247 名和成年运动员 223 名。在运动员参赛前的准备阶段，使用生物电阻抗分析设备收集了数据。根据当前的分类规则，运动员的体重是根据任意确定的范围进行分类的，而在本研究中，作者根据身高和收集的数据设计了一种改进的模型。官方模型和提议的改进分类方法之间的身高系数差异（分别为 2.70 和 0.71）表明，改进的模型使运动员的分类更加均匀，比官方模型均匀化了近四倍，将特定类别内身高的最大差异从 29 厘米减少到 9 厘米。所提议的改进模型与官方结构具有相同数量的类别，并直接将类别内身高的差异均匀化到 3 厘米的最大值，对于中间类别为 9 厘米，对于类别边缘为 9 厘米。我们期望这种改进的格斗运动分类模型将间接减少类别内其他纵向身体尺寸之间的差异（从而使比赛结果更难预测），并减少可能危及运动员健康的体重操纵。
