ORIGINAL ARTICLE   

Gazzetta Medica Italiana - Archivio per le Scienze Mediche 2020 September;179(9):520-7

DOI: 10.23736/S0393-3660.19.04156-1

Copyright © 2019 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

Strength performance profile in 800-m athletes: a comparison between high, medium, and low performance levels

Beatriz BACHERO-MENA ^{1, 2} ✉, Juan J. GONZÁLEZ-BADILLO ²

¹ Department of Physical Education and Sport, University of Seville, Seville, Spain; ² Physical Performance and Sports Research Center, Pablo de Olavide University, Seville, Spain

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to provide physical and strength-related characteristics of 800 m athletes with regard to their initial performance level.
METHODS: Fourteen male athletes of different levels in 800 m running (with personal best ranging from 1’43” s to 1’58”) participated in this study and were divided into three groups according to their competitive level: High-level, Medium-level, and Low-level. Athletes performed a 800 m running trial and a battery of strength-related tests which involved sprint tests (10, 20, and 200 m), countermovement jump (CMJ), jump squat (JS), and full squat (SQ) tests.
RESULTS: Significant differences between the High-level and the Low-level groups were observed in all the sprint variables measured: 10 and 20 m sprint (P<0.01), 200 m (P<0.01), showing the High-level group better performance in all the sprint tests. With regard to the strength-related tests (CMJ, JS, SQ V1load, SQ 1RM) although no significant differences between groups were found, a clear tendency to a better performance in all the strength-related variables for the High-level group can be observed (CMJ, P=0.08; JS, P=0.07; SQ V1load, P=0.1), as well as a better performance for the Medium-level group when compared to the Low-level group.
CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study indicate that the athletes with higher strength and sprint performance levels were those with a higher 800 m performance level. These findings suggest the importance of strength and sprint levels in 800 m running performance.

KEY WORDS: Running; Physical endurance; Athletic performance; Muscle strength