PhD, Associate Professor V.V. Zebzeev¹
PhD O.S. Zdanovich¹
Postgraduate student M.V. Barinov¹
E.K. Zharushkina^1
1Tchaikovsky State Institute of Physical Culture, Tchaikovsky

Keywords: progress control, stabilometric test rates, group benchmarks, ski jumping, Nordic combined, long-term athletic training, motor skills, balance function quality; redirection postural control.

Background. Presently modern progress control tools are in special priority for most of the sports experts in the athletic training system management process with its target, scheduled and staged tests to objectively rate the training and competitive performance and progress, assess benefits of the specific training methods and decisions and correct the training plans correspondingly on a micro- meso- and macro-cycling basis [3-5]. E.A. Grozin [2] was the first national researcher to report a successful progress control model testing experience in application to the ski jumping and Nordic combined training systems; with a versatile test set used to rate the physical, technical, functional and mental fitness and competitive performance.

For the last 10-15 years the both sports have seen the traditional progress control toolkits being expanded and reinforced by modern instrumental test systems unthinkable for the 1980-90ies and making it possible to rate the athletes’ health, functions and fitness on a new basis. One of them is the modern stabilometric test method with its computerized stabilographic platforms and rapidly progressing software tools that lately has been increasingly popular in the sports science for the motor coordination skills rating and progress analyses [1, 6, 7].

It should be mentioned that the individual ability to quickly master new motor skills and progress in the dynamic postural control for efficient and timely responses in every sport-specific situation comprises one of the key preconditions for technical and tactical progress in the modern ski jumping and Nordic combined sports [3, 5]; and, hence, modern stabilometric test systems may be highly beneficial for progress in these sports.    

Objective of the study was to develop stabilometric group benchmarks for application at every progress stage in the modern ski jumping and Nordic combined long-term athletic training systems.

Methods and structure of the study. The study was sponsored by “Sports – Move to Victory” State Research Grant and run in the period of June 10-15, 2019 at the A.A. Danilov ‘Snezhinka” Sports Training Center of the Tchaikovsky State Institute of Physical Culture. We sampled for the study 189 ski jumpers and Nordic combined competitors of different ages, genders, qualifications and long-term athletic training progress stages. The sample was tested by Stabilan-01-02 Stabilometer System with a biological feedback capacity in a Tolerance Test mode to obtain the following quiescent-state test rates: eyes-open/ eyes-closed balance function quality test rate; fast redirection postural control test rate; and the Romberg test ratio.

Results and discussion. The stabilometric and motor skills tests and analysis yielded the eyes-open/ eyes-closed balance function quality test rates. Thus when an individual eyes-open balance function quality test rate was higher than the eyes-closed one it was interpreted as indicative of the leading role played by the visual analyzer in the motor skills training process; in an alternative case, the leading role was attributed to the sensorimotor analyzer system, with the progress in motor skills secured rather by muscular sensations.

The redirection postural control test made it possible to rate the oscillatory movements in the motor skill execution process i.e. the individual movement control efficiency in the sample. The relatively high oscillatory movement counts were interpreted as indicative of the postural control inefficiency and potential rapid depletion of the bodily energy resource; with the eyes-open and eyes-closed versions of the redirection postural control test making it possible to rate contributions of the visual and sensorimotor analyzer systems, respectively.

Table 1. Stabilometric group benchmarks of the men’s subsample, n=106

Note: EO BFQ, EC BFQ mean the eyes-open and eyes-closed balance function quality tests, respectively; EO RPC, EC RPC mean the eyes-open and eyes-closed redirection postural control test, respectively

The Romberg test data analysis to rate contributions of the visual analyzer in the balance function showed the sample being dominated by the individuals with the excellent and high test rates that means that their vision heavily contributes to the balance function; whilst the low and poor Romberg test rates are typical for the individuals whose vertical postural controls are mostly driven by the muscular sensations

Table 2. Stabilometric group benchmarks of the female subsample, n=83

Note: EO BFQ, EC BFQ mean the eyes-open and eyes-closed balance function quality tests, respectively; EO RPC, EC RPC mean the eyes-open and eyes-closed redirection postural control test, respectively

Conclusion. The study data and analyses made it possible to offer a set of stabilometric group benchmarks (that may be applied to find groups relying on different analyzers in the motor skills mastering and excelling trainings. Stabilometric tests are recommended for application for the progress control purposes in the modern ski jumping and Nordic combined sports as they provide important information on contributions of the analyzer systems in the balance function. Systemic stabilometric tests in the ski jumping and Nordic combined sports at every training stage will help improve the training process efficiency.

References

1. Abalyan A.G., Myakinchenko E.B., Kryuchkov A.S. et al. Scientific and methodological support of elite Paralympic athletes' training management system. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury. 2016. no. 5. pp. 70-72.
2. Zebzeev V.V. Information database of training of cross-country skiers of various qualifications. Uchenye zapiski universiteta im. P. F. Lesgafta. 2015. no. 6 (124). pp. 75-79.
3. Pavlenko Yu., Kozlova N. Scientific and methodological support for training Olympic athletes. Nauka v olimpiyskom sporte. 2013. no. 2. pp. 73-79.
4. Cherkashin V.P., Fomichenko T.G., Stepyko D.G. Current trends in scientific and methodological support for training of elite Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Vestnik sportivnoy nauki. 2016. no. 5. pp. 12-14.

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Abstract

Objective of the study was to develop stabilometric group benchmarks for application at every progress stage in the modern ski jumping and Nordic combined long-term athletic training systems.

Methods and structure of the study. The study was sponsored by “Sports – Move to Victory” State Research Grant and run in the period of June 10-15, 2019 at the A.A. Danilov ‘Snezhinka” Sports Training Center of the Tchaikovsky State Institute of Physical Culture. We sampled for the study 189 ski jumpers and Nordic combined competitors of different ages, genders, qualifications and long-term athletic training progress stages. The sample was tested by Stabilan-01-02 Stabilometer System with a biological feedback capacity in a Tolerance Test mode to obtain the following quiescent-state test rates: eyes-open/ eyes-closed balance function quality test rate; fast redirection postural control test rate; and the Romberg test ratio.

Results and conclusions. The stabilometric and motor skills tests and analysis yielded the eyes-open/ eyes-closed balance function quality test rates. Thus when an individual eyes-open balance function quality test rate was higher than the eyes-closed one it was interpreted as indicative of the leading role played by the visual analyzer in the motor skills training process; in an alternative case, the leading role was attributed to the sensorimotor analyzer system, with the progress in motor skills secured rather by muscular sensations.

The redirection postural control test made it possible to rate the oscillatory movements in the motor skill execution process i.e. the individual movement control efficiency in the sample. The relatively high oscillatory movement counts were interpreted as indicative of the postural control inefficiency and potential rapid depletion of the bodily energy resource; with the eyes-open and eyes-closed versions of the redirection postural control test making it possible to rate contributions of the visual and sensorimotor analyzer systems, respectively.

The study data and analyses made it possible to offer a set of stabilometric group benchmarks (that may be applied to find groups relying on different analyzers in the motor skills mastering and excelling trainings. Stabilometric tests are recommended for application for the progress control purposes in the modern ski jumping and Nordic combined sports as they provide important information on contributions of the analyzer systems in the balance function. Systemic stabilometric tests in the ski jumping and Nordic combined sports at every training stage will help improve the training process efficiency.