Effects of functional versus resistance training on delivery performance and sport-specific fitness in elite wheelchair curling athletes.

Background

This study compared the effects of 6 weeks of traditional resistance training (RT) and functional training (FT) on physical fitness and stone-delivery performance in elite wheelchair curling athletes.

Methods

Ten national and professional athletes completed a matched-group, nonrandomized pre-post controlled design involving a 6-week conditioning intervention (RTG: N.=5; FTG: N.=5), with both groups training 4 sessions per week under standardized volume and intensity conditions using the OMNI-RES scale. Physical fitness outcomes included grip strength, muscular endurance (inverted row), upper-body power, flexibility, and dynamic sitting balance (modified functional reach test). Stone-delivery performance was assessed using standardized draw and takeout shots.

Results

RT significantly improved grip strength, inverted row performance, and right-shoulder flexibility (P<0.05), whereas FT significantly improved dynamic sitting balance in the forward and right directions (P<0.05). No significant between-group differences were observed for fitness change scores. Draw-shot performance did not significantly change in either group. For takeout shots, RT demonstrated a significant decline in hit-and-roll out-turn performance (P<0.05), whereas FT maintained performance, resulting in a significant between-group difference in change scores (P<0.05).

Conclusions

A 6-week conditioning program produced modality-specific fitness adaptations; however, transfer to on-ice shot performance was limited in elite wheelchair curling athletes. Functional training showed only a preliminary tendency to maintain performance in one complex takeout task, and this finding should be interpreted cautiously given the small sample size and limited statistical power.