Multivariate analysis of physical preparedness indicators in qualified Greco-Roman wrestlers

Abstract

Background and Purpose. Modern competitive activity in Greco-Roman wrestling is characterized by high-intensity bouts and increased demands on athletes’ physical preparedness levels. Despite the considerable number of studies in wrestling, the issues related to the comprehensive analysis of interrelationships between wrestlers’ physical preparednessindicators using multivariate statistical methods remain insufficiently explored. This determines the necessity of identifying the most informative components of physical preparedness in order to improve the systems of monitoring and managing the training process. The purpose of the study was to conduct a multivariate analysis of physical preparedness indicators in Greco-Roman wrestlers and to identify the most informative components characterizing the structure of their athletic performance. Materials and Methods. The study involved 32 sub-elite Greco-Roman wrestlers (mean age: 22.03±1.76 years; height: 176.66±4.61 cm; body mass: 74.47±7.90 kg) with 10-12 years of training experience, who regularly participated in national competitions and trained at least six times per week. Physical preparedness assessment was carried out using a battery of tests evaluating speed abilities, speed-strength abilities, coordination abilities, strength endurance, general endurance, and wrestlers’ special work capacity. Descriptive statistics, correlation, factor, cluster, and discriminant analyses were applied using IBM SPSS Statistics software. Results. Physical preparedness indicators of sub-elite Greco-Roman wrestlers were tested and subsequently used in the multivariate analysis. Correlation analysis revealed numerous statistically significant relationships between the wrestlers’ physical preparednessindicators. Strong relationships were identified between speed abilities and speed-strength fitness, strength endurance, and coordination abilities. The largest number of interrelationships was observed for indicators of speed-strength qualities and strength endurance, indicating their leading role in the structure of wrestlers’ special work capacity. The obtained results confirm the complex nature of physical preparedness and the necessity of integrated development of physical qualities within the training process. Factor analysis identified several latent factors explaining the major part of the total variance of the sample. The first factor predominantly characterized the level of athletes’ speed-strength fitness. The second factor was associated with the functional capabilities of the body, including strength, general, and special endurance. The third factor reflected wrestlers’ coordination abilities. The obtained factor structure confirms the multidimensional nature of physical preparedness in wrestling. Cluster analysis identified three typological groups of athletes differing in the structure of physical and functional preparedness. Wrestlers in the first group demonstrated high levels of strength, general, and special endurance; athletes in the second group were characterized by higher levels of speed and speed-strength abilities; whereas wrestlers in the third group had the most balanced structure of physical fitness. This indicates the existence of different individual models for achieving high athletic performance in Greco-Roman wrestling. Discriminant analysis demonstrated high effectiveness in classifying athletes into the three groups. The greatest contribution to group differentiation was made by the following tests: “2×800 m run”, “Hanging Leg Raises Test”, “Forward bends with a partner of equal weight”, “Swing-overs on the wrestling bridge”, “Running around the head on the wrestling bridge”, and “10 forward rolls”. Conclusions. The results of the study demonstrated that the physical preparedness of sub-elite Greco-Roman wrestlers has a complex and multidimensional structure. Correlation analysis revealed numerous statistically significant relationships among indicators of speed, speed-strength, coordination abilities, strength endurance, and special endurance, indicating a high level of integration of physical qualities within the athletes’ fitness structure. Factor analysis identified three leading factors: speed-strength fitness, special strength endurance, and coordination abilities, which together explained 70.82% of the total variance of the indicators. Cluster analysis confirmed the existence of three wrestler types characterized by different orientations in the development of physical qualities and special work capacity. Discriminant analysis demonstrated high classification accuracy and confirmed the informativeness of the applied tests for differentiating wrestlers according to their preparedness levels. The obtained results may be used for the individualization of the training process and optimization of physical preparednessprograms for sub-elite Greco-Roman wrestlers.