Fritz Péter, Fritz Réka, Mayer Lívia, Németh Boglárka, Ressinka Judit, Ács Pongrác, Oláh Csilla
Faculty of Health Science, University of Miskolc, Miskolc-Egyetemváros, Building Stefánia, Miskolc, 3515, Hungary.
Doctoral School of Clinical Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2022 Sep 5;14(1):165. doi: 10.1186/s13102-022-00560-9.
Water polo is unique among aquatic-and generally other-sports as it includes cyclic elements typical in swimming and acyclic elements occurring mainly in ball games. Moreover, water polo demands high level of technical and tactical skills. Players need an optimal nutritional and physical condition to achieve high athletic performance, which is to a great extend influenced by nutritional habits. We aim to highlight possible shortfalls in players' nutritional intake in relation to positions played within the team.
In the present study, we determined the anthropometric and body composition characteristics, dietary habits and laboratory parameters of elite adult male water polo players (n = 19) before the start of the championship and at the end of the regular season, which meant a 4-month intervention period. Analyses of body composition characteristics and nutritional habits were performed using bioimpedance analyzer InBody 770 and a 3-day nutrition diary, respectively. Paired-sample t-test were used to determine the differences between the variables measured before and after the championship. Correlations between the anthropometric and body composition characteristics and different serum parameters were analyzed using linear correlation calculation. K-mean cluster analysis was performed using the anthropometric and body composition characteristics of the athletes.
Based on anthropometric and body composition characteristics, players can be divided into two significantly different clusters that shows an association with specific playing positions. Cluster I included goalkeepers and wing players, while defenders, centers, and shooters belonged to Cluster II. We observed significant differences in the physical composition and slight but not significant differences in nutritional habits of the clusters. Cluster I players were 5 cm shorter on average, while their mean body weight, skeletal muscle mass and body fat mass data were lower by 19 kg, 7 kg, and 7 kg, respectively. We studied the correlation between initial anthropometric and body composition parameters and the changes in laboratory parameters before and after the regular season. As a result, we detected numerous significant differences between the two clusters, such as the changes in glucose and magnesium levels, which showed a strong correlation with several body composition parameters in cluster II, but did not in cluster I.
Cluster differences between anthropometric and body compositional characteristics, and the changes in laboratory parameters can help to develop position-specific training and nutritional recommendations in the future. Therefore, the results may be applicable in sport sciences for elite athletes and sports coaches.
水球在水上运动以及一般其他运动中独具特色，因为它包含游泳中典型的循环元素以及主要出现在球类运动中的非循环元素。此外，水球需要高水平的技术和战术技能。运动员需要最佳的营养和身体状况才能取得高水平的运动成绩，而这在很大程度上受营养习惯的影响。我们旨在强调运动员在团队中所担任位置与营养摄入方面可能存在的不足。
在本研究中，我们测定了成年男子精英水球运动员（n = 19）在锦标赛开始前和常规赛结束时的人体测量学和身体成分特征、饮食习惯及实验室参数，这意味着有一个4个月的干预期。分别使用生物电阻抗分析仪InBody 770和一份为期3天的营养日记对身体成分特征和营养习惯进行分析。采用配对样本t检验来确定锦标赛前后所测变量之间的差异。使用线性相关计算分析人体测量学和身体成分特征与不同血清参数之间的相关性。利用运动员的人体测量学和身体成分特征进行K均值聚类分析。
基于人体测量学和身体成分特征，运动员可分为两个明显不同的聚类，这与特定的比赛位置有关。聚类I包括守门员和边锋，而后卫、中锋和射手属于聚类II。我们观察到聚类在身体成分方面存在显著差异，在营养习惯方面存在轻微但不显著的差异。聚类I的运动员平均身高矮5厘米，而他们的平均体重、骨骼肌质量和体脂质量数据分别低19千克、7千克和7千克。我们研究了初始人体测量学和身体成分参数与常规赛前后实验室参数变化之间的相关性。结果，我们在两个聚类之间检测到许多显著差异，例如葡萄糖和镁水平的变化，其在聚类II中与多个身体成分参数显示出强相关性，但在聚类I中并非如此。
人体测量学和身体成分特征的聚类差异以及实验室参数的变化有助于未来制定针对特定位置的训练和营养建议。因此，这些结果可能适用于精英运动员和体育教练的运动科学领域。
