Investigation of the Relationship Between Body Composition, Maximal Oxygen Consumption and Some Biomotor Characteristics in Young Male Long-Distance Runners

Abstract

Biomotor characteristics and body composition in athletes are factors affecting athletic performance. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between body composition, maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) and some biomotor characteristics in young male long-distance runners. 15 young male long-distance runners (age: 14.73±0.88 years) participated in the study voluntarily. The study was designed as a relational cross-sectional study model. Body analysis measurements, 20m shuttle run, 10m and 20m sprint, countermovement jump (CMJ), Illinois agility and back strength tests were applied to the participating athletes. SPSS package program was used. Shapiro-Wilk test was applied to determine the normality level of the data. It was determined that the data had a normal distribution. Pearson correlation test was used in the relational analysis of the data. No significant relationship was found between body composition parameters and VO2max, 10m and 20m sprint values in young male long-distance runners participating in the study (p > 0.05). Positive moderately significant relationships were found between CMJ and fat-free mass (r = 0.560 ; p = 0.030), mineral mass (r = 0.558 ; p = 0.031) and fluid mass (r = 0.559 ; p = 0.030). Negative moderately significant relationships were found between Illinois agility and fat-free proportion (r = -0.572 ; p = 0.026), mineral proportion (r = -0.570 ; p = 0.026) and fluid proportion (r = -0.556 ; p = 0.031), while a positive moderately significant relationship was found between Illinois agility and fat proportion (r = 0.572 ; p = 0.026). While positive and strong significant relationships were determined between back strength and lean mass (r = 0.786; p = 0.001), mineral mass (r = 0.787; p = 0.000) and basal metabolic rate (r = 0.758; p = 0.001), a very strong positive significant relationship was determined between back strength and fluid mass (r = 0.814; p = 0.000). In long-distance runners, applying training aimed at increasing lean body and fluid mass and focusing on nutritional strategies to reduce fat percentage may increase their athletic performance.