The Structure of Morpho-Functional Conditions Determining the Level of Sports Performance of Young Badminton Players

Construction and Analysis of the Physical Fitness Evaluation Index System for Elite Male Singles Badminton Players: Based on Delphi and AHP Methods

OBJECTIVE

To construct and validate a physical fitness evaluation index system for elite male singles badminton players.

METHODS

Utilizing the Delphi method to establish a comprehensive evaluation system, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was employed to calculate the influence weights of various indicators. The validity of the comprehensive evaluation system was verified using testing methods.

RESULTS

After three rounds of expert selection, the physical fitness evaluation index system for elite male singles badminton players includes three primary indicators, nine secondary indicators, and twenty-one tertiary indicators. Among the primary indicators, specialized physical fitness holds a significant weight in the evaluation with a value of 0.651, whereas body morphology has a smaller weight of 0.077. Among the secondary indicators, specialized agility, strength, and endurance have higher weights of 0.223, 0.217, and 0.210, respectively. Among the tertiary indicators, four-corner ball touch, 400 m × 5 shuttle run, smash-and-rush, and vertical jump height hold higher weights of 0.119, 0.114, 0.104, and 0.096, respectively. The results after randomly selecting ten elite male singles badminton players and applying the evaluation index system demonstrated that this system has high feasibility and validity. It can not only comprehensively assess the physical fitness of athletes but also provide significant practical guidance for enhancing their competitive performance.

CONCLUSIONS

The evaluation system and weight assignments constructed in this study can scientifically and comprehensively reflect the physical fitness status of athletes. It can guide coaches in formulating targeted training plans and optimizing training outcomes.

Social and Individual Factors Associated with Eating Disorders in Young Athletes: Effects on Concentration and Fatigue

Eating disorders are a growing societal problem, especially among young people. This study aims to determine the individual and social factors that support and perpetuate the risk of eating disorders (ED) and their possible consequences on an individual's athletic and academic performances. The sample consisted of 395 athletes between 12 and 16 years of age (M = 14.07; SD = 1.35), of whom 142 (35.9%) were female, and 253 (64.1%) were male. A questionnaire was administered to collect information on sociodemographic data, body image, use of social networks, social relationships, sports practice, risk of developing ED, and academic and sports performance. In the resulting analysis, an initial cross-tabulation was carried out to observe the body distortion of the respondents as a function of BMI, followed by a linear regression to analyze the factors influencing the risk of suffering from ED. In addition, correlations were made to determine the relationship between the risk of manifesting ED and academic and sports performance. The main results show that 77.7% of the young athletes present a risk of ED (M = 13.3; DT = 3.33) due to a high body image distortion, which becomes the determining factor. In addition, relationships with family and friends have a significant influence on this. On the other hand, behaviors related with eating disorders affect concentration (r = -0.122; p = 0.01) and fatigue (r = -0.376; p < 0.01). For all these reasons, generating and promoting prevention and early detection guidelines during adolescence is necessary.

Relationships between selected indices of postural stability and sports performance in elite badminton players: Pilot study

The main aim of this study was to determine the relationships between postural stability and the place in the ranking of badminton players. The study examined 10 elite players from Polish national badminton team. The scope of the study included basic somatic characteristics, such as body height, body weight, BMI, and training experience. A Microgate GYKO inertial sensor system was used to assess the postural stability of athletes. Using Spearman's rank correlation, cause-and-effect relationships between the place in the sports ranking and the analyzed variables characterizing postural stability were recognized. Depending on the distribution and homogeneity of variance, the significance of differences in variables that characterize postural stability between players of different sports skill levels (two groups) was calculated. The Student's t-test or Mann-Whitney's U-test was used for this purpose. In general, the athletes with higher positions on the ranking list presented a higher level of postural stability in both tests, which is also confirmed by the normalized values. However, for all variables of postural stability, no statistically significant correlations with sports ranking were observed. Higher values of Spearman's rank correlation coefficients were found for the test performed in the one-foot standing test compared to the two-foot test. The results obtained indicate that particular attention in badminton training should be paid to the development of the level of postural stability in order to improve sports performance.

Profile of coordination motor abilities in elite judokas and badminton players compared to non-athletes

Study aim: To determine the level and internal structure of profiles of coordination motor abilities in elite judokas and badminton players compared to a group of non-athletes.

Material and methods: The material for the study was the results collected from 12 competitors of the Polish national badminton team (age: 22.7 ± 4.5), 10 members of the national judo team who represented mean weight categories (age: 23.0 ± 3.3) and 25 non-athletes, who were male university students of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport (age: 23.0 ± 0.8). The scope of the study included basic somatic features and selected coordination motor abilities measured by means of computer tests.

Results: Statistically significant differences between badminton players and judokas were obtained for reaction times (visual, auditory and selective) as well as spatial orientation. In all cases, a higher level was found for badminton players. Furthermore, analysis of differences between badminton players and non-athletes revealed statistically significant differences only for the selective reaction time. A substantial differentiation of the internal structure of the models of coordination motor abilities was obtained. This pattern was particularly noticeable in the group of judokas and badminton players, where the difference between characteristics was ca. 0.76 SD. Substantially smaller differences (0.21 SD) between particular variables included in the coordination profile were found for non-athlete university students.

Conclusion: The lower results of the elite judokas show the need for developing the coordination motor abilities during training. The largest reserves are to be found in raising the level of reaction times and spatial orientation.