Importância das características antropométricas e motoras de jovens jogadores de polo aquático na performance em testes específicos

Abstract

The water polo, swimming, synchronized swimming and diving, make up the sport known as Swimming, as they have specific regulations in which they do not allow any auxiliary solid support. The main objective of this work is to evaluate the existence of a relationship between anthropometric characteristics and performance with specific water polo tests, in order to obtain information that helps to understand the importance of anthropometric factors in the performance of young players. Fifty-eight young water polo players from the Swimming Association of Northern Portugal (ANNP), with a decimal average age of 13.14 ± 0.62 years and with a three to four years of the sport practicing experience (2.94 ± 0.69 years), participated in the present study. The players underwent a set of anthropometric assessments and water polo specific motor tests. The jump had a low correlation with the fat-free mass and an inverse correlation with fat percentage (r = 0.37 and -0.38 respectively). The values obtained in shooting toward a canvas without and with previous displacement were those that most correlated, although with low expression, with the fat-free mass (r = 0.44 and 0.40, respectively). The agility test did not correlate with any of the players' anthropometric measurements, which emphasizes their high cognitive demands. The values obtained in the agility test were lower than the values found in the literature. There were no strong or very strong correlations between anthropometric characteristics and the specific motor tests considered. However, taking into account the age of the young players and their practicing experience in the discipline, it is expected that they will evolve substantially in the various physical parameters and motor performance. This study allowed us to observe that the correlation between the anthropometric measurements of young players and their motor performance in the contemplated tests is weak, which may contribute to a better understanding of the ANNP practitioners' characteristics.