PhD A.A. Zakharov¹
Yu.Yu. Zakharova¹
A.V. Burnashev^1
1North-Eastern Federal University, Yakutsk

Keywords: mas-wrestling, carpal strength, muscular endurance, muscle group, carpal dynamometry, fatigue, recovery.

Background. Modern mas-wrestling sport implies varied-intensity competitive stresses with every key muscle group mobilized for success [1, 6] in a traditional stick tagging bout of two athletes (‘magyns’). It is a common knowledge that a competitive success in mas-wrestling largely depends on the individual carpal strength and muscular endurance among other sport-specific physical fitness qualities [2, 3, 7]. Some of the modern physical progress theoreticians believe that strength and endurance are generally antagonistic qualities – that means that progress in one of them may trigger a regress in the other. Researchers often mention in this context that training systems shall be prudently designed with account of the practical contradiction/ incompatibility of the strength and endurance building elements [8-10]. We tend to believe, however, that the actual level of antagonism of both qualities training methods may widely vary depending on the muscles mobilization rates – e.g. in the global versus local muscle group workouts.

As emphasized by V.M. Zatsiorskiy when considering the correlation between the local muscle group strength versus endurance, ‘actual muscular endurance largely depends on the muscle strength – e.g. the stronger people generally attain higher repetitions in strength tests – albeit mostly when the load is high enough. In case of the lower workloads the numbers of repetitions or strength maintenance times will grow fast irrespective of the maximal strength’ [5].

Objective of the study was to analyze the grip strength correlation with muscular endurance in men’s mass wrestlers versus their unsporting peers, plus arm muscle fatigue and recovery rates in the sport-specific maximal tension and workout till muscular failure tests.

Methods and structure of the study. We sampled for the study North-Eastern Federal University (NEFU) students (n=54, males only) on their informed consent, and split up the sample into the unsporting Group 1 (n=30, aged 19.3±1.4 years, 175.1±6.8cm tall and 64.3±8.2kg heavy on average) formally qualified with the academic main health group, with their physical activity limited by the standard 90-min physical education classes 2 times a week; and the mas-wrestling Group 2 (n=24 aged 20.2±1.8 years, 173.5±4.0cm tall and 71.7±8.0kg heavy) with the 2-year-plus mas-wrestling experience, qualified Class I-III (n=14) to CMS and MS (n=10).

Carpal strength and fatigue were tested by an electronic carpal dynamometer "DMER-120" (made in Russia) as follows: the subject standing with the dynamometer in the straight dominant (writing) arm was given 12 attempts of a 3-second maximal strength test with 5-second rest breaks. The muscular endurance and recovery rates were obtained by a Rotating Bar Hang (RBH) test. The 32mm thick rotating bar butts were fixed in bearings. The subject was given 2 attempts to hang on the bar as long as possible on straight hands with the grip being shoulders-wide, with 60-second rest breaks in between the two attempts (RBH1, RBH2) to attain the individual best result [4].

The test data were processed to obtain the following arm strength and muscular endurance test rates: CDmax, CDmin, CDa, CDb - the individual best, lowest, and average for the first and last 3 attempts, respectively, in 12 carpal dynamometry tests; AFR - arm fatigue rate; RBH1, RBH2 – first and second rotating bar hang test rates, respectively; and AMR – arm muscles recovery rate. We used the following formulas to compute arm fatigue rate and arm muscles recovery:

AFR = [(CDa – CDb)/ CDa] x 100                          (1)

AMR = (RBH1/ RBH2) x 100                                  (2)

The test data were statistically processed and analyzed using the arithmetic mean (Mean) and standard deviation (SD), with the significance of mean differences rated by the Student's t-test. Differences were rated significant at 95% (p <0.05) and 99% (p <0.01) probabilities. Correlations of the data arrays were rated using the Pearson correlation ratios. The statistical analysis was made using IBM SPSS Statistics version 22.0 software tools.

Results and discussion. Given in Table 1 hereunder are the group carpal strength and muscular endurance test rates.

Table 1. Group carpal strength and muscular endurance test rates

The analysis found statistically significant intergroup differences in the following test rates: CDmax, CDmin, CDa, CDb, RBH2 (p <0.01), with the RBH1 data arrays found significantly different with p <0.05. The intergroup arm muscles recovery rates were also statistically significantly different with p <0.01. However, the intergroup arm fatigue rates were found insignificantly different with p> 0.05.

Correlation analysis found statistically significant correlations between the arm strength test rates (CDmax, CDmin, CDa, CDb) and RBH2 versus RBH1 (r=0.751**). We also found a moderate correlation between the RBH2 and arm fatigue rate (r=0.552**). And the arm strength and endurance tests found in a moderate correlation between the RBH2 and CDmax (r=0.404*) and RBH2 and CDa (r=0.432*). Correlation analysis of the results of Croup 2 (mas-wrestling) test data found statistically significant correlations between the arm strength rates (CDmax, CDmin, CDa, CDb); and a moderate correlation between RBH2 versus RBH1 (r=0.605**).

Of special interest, in our opinion, were the intergroup differences and correlations in the arm muscles recovery rates. Thus in sporting Group2 the arm muscles recovery rates were found in a moderate negative correlation with the arm fatigue rates (r = -0.448 *) and in a moderate positive correlation with RBH2 (r= 0.586**), and insignificant correlation with RBH1 (r = -0.283). In the unsporting Group 1, the arm fatigue rates was found in a moderate correlation with the RBH2 (r = 0.552 **) and in insignificant correlation with RBH1 although the correlation between arm fatigue rates and arm muscles recovery was found insignificant (r=0.163).

Conclusion. Local fatigue of the arm muscles in the maximal-strength trainings with repetitions was found independent of the actual strength and sporting experiences. There are also good reasons to assume that the local arm fatigue rates in sub-maximal-strength trainings largely depend on the arm muscle fitness rates. Correlation analysis found no significant correlations between the arm strength rates (CD tests) and muscular endurance (rotating bar hang tests). This means that high arm strength may not necessarily be associated with high arm muscular endurance in the sport-specific grip tests.

We found a moderate negative correlation between the arm fatigue rates and arm muscle recovery rates in the sporting group (r = -0.448 *) and an insignificant correlation of both in the unsporting group (r = 0.163) – that may be indicative of the mas-wrestling sport facilitating growth of this correlation. This finding may be explained by the sports on the whole and mas-wrestling developing the arm muscle recovery ability after high-intensity workouts till refusal. We would, therefore, recommend further studies to clarify the arm muscles recovery mechanism performance versus the training workloads and the trainees’ physical fitness rates.

References

1. Alekseev V.N., Gotovtsev I.I., Artemenko T.G., Loginov V.N. Muscular activity of mas-wrestlers when performing traction techniques in competitive activity. Izvestiya Tulskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Fizicheskaya kultura. Sport. 2018. No. 2. pp. 97-103.
2. Zakharov A.A. Development of strength and endurance of the muscles of the hands of skilled mas-wrestrlers using technical means. Abstract of PhD diss.. Malakhovka, 2017. 22 p.
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4. Zakharova Ya.Yu., Zakharov A.A. Defining reliability and informativeness of repeated test “Hang on a rotating bar (VISKP60)” to rate hand muscle endurance in mass wrestlers. Uchenye zapiski universiteta im. P.F. Lesgafta. 2016. No.7 (137). pp. 31-36.
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Corresponding author: alalza@mail.ru

Abstract

Objective of the study was to analyze the grip strength correlation with muscular endurance in men’s mass wrestlers versus their unsporting peers, plus arm muscle fatigue and recovery rates in the sport-specific maximal tension and workout till muscular failure tests.

Methods and structure of the study. We sampled for the study North-Eastern Federal University (NEFU) students (n=54, males only) on their informed consent. Carpal strength and fatigue were tested by an electronic carpal dynamometer "DMER-120" (made in Russia) as follows: the subject standing with the dynamometer in the straight dominant (writing) arm was given 12 attempts of a 3-second maximal strength test with 5-second rest breaks. The muscular endurance and recovery rates were obtained by a Rotating Bar Hang test.

Results and conclusions. Local fatigue of the arm muscles in the maximal-strength trainings with repetitions was found independent of the actual strength and sporting experiences. There are also good reasons to assume that the local arm fatigue rates in sub-maximal-strength trainings largely depend on the arm muscle fitness rates. Correlation analysis found no significant correlations between the arm strength rates (CD tests) and muscular endurance (rotating bar hang tests). This means that high arm strength may not necessarily be associated with high arm muscular endurance in the sport-specific grip tests.

We found a moderate negative correlation between the arm fatigue rates and arm muscle recovery rates in the sporting group and an insignificant correlation of both in the unsporting group – that may be indicative of the mas-wrestling sport facilitating growth of this correlation. This finding may be explained by the sports on the whole and mas-wrestling developing the arm muscle recovery ability after high-intensity workouts till refusal. We would, therefore, recommend further studies to clarify the arm muscles recovery mechanism performance versus the training workloads and the trainees’ physical fitness rates.