Anaerobic power differences between upper and lower body in male greco-roman wrestlers: A wingate test analysis

Özet

The aim of this study was to compare the anaerobic power outputs of the upper and lower body muscle groups during a 30-second Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT) in male Greco-Roman wrestlers. The study specifically aimed to examine the differences between peak and average power over time and how the anaerobic systems contribute to performance in both body regions. The study involved 30 male Greco-Roman wrestlers (mean age: 15.97 ± 1.27 years, mean height: 174.50 ± 5.02 cm, mean body weight: 68.37 ± 11.81 kg). The participants were summoned to the laboratory over three different test days. On the first day, the participants performed a preliminary practice session to familiarize themselves with the equipment used in the study. On the second day of testing, half of the group was randomly assigned to the arm Wingate test, while the other half participated in the leg Wingate test. Each participant performed warm-up exercises before the test. Three days later, the participants returned to the laboratory and swapped their tests. During the 30-second test, peak and average power outputs were recorded, and the averages for each 5-second interval were calculated. Data were analyzed using paired t-tests to compare peak and average power outputs between the arm and leg Wingate tests. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Significant differences were found between the leg and arm tests for both peak and average power; leg power was significantly higher in both parameters (p< 0.01). Additionally, relative power (Watt/kg) values were significantly higher in the legs compared to the arms. The analysis of power outputs over time showed that leg power was higher in every 5-second interval, with the largest differences observed in the first 10 seconds of the test. The study revealed that despite the emphasis on upper body strength in Greco-Roman wrestling, leg anaerobic power outputs were superior to the arms. This can be attributed to the larger muscle mass in the lower body, a higher proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibers, and biomechanical advantages.