Relationship Between Functional Limitations of the Locomotor System and Performance in Judo

Abstract

Introduction. The high demands imposed by judo with regard to physical fitness can predispose athletes practising this sport to injury. The aim of the current study was to determine the relationship between the degree of functional limitations and performance outcomes in judo athletes. Material and methods. The study involved 23 judo athletes aged 17-27 years. For the purpose of carrying out comparative analyses, the judokas were divided into two groups according to their level of achievement. The first group consisted of medallists in international tournaments and Polish championships, and the second group was composed of non-medallists. The research tool used was the Functional Movement Screen test battery, which included seven exercise tests whose performance was rated on a scale from 0 to 3. Relationships between variables were assessed using Spearman's rho correlation coefficients. Inter-group differences were determined by means of the Mann-Whitney U test, and differences between the left and right side of the body in bilateral tests were examined using the Wilcoxon test (statistical significance was set at p ≤ 0.05). Results. The total score for the FMS test was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in judo athletes who had a higher level of achievement. Scores below 14 points, which were indicative of high susceptibility to injury, were received by two athletes from the group of medallists and 8 non-medallists. Major asymmetries were not found in the subjects; significant differences were observed only in the shoulder mobility test in senior judokas (p < 0.05) and non-medallists (p < 0.01). Conclusions. Judo athletes who had better performance outcomes in competitions had higher scores in the FMS test. Functional limitations can have an impact on the outcomes of performance in judo; their degree is indicative of the quality of the movement as well as of susceptibility to injury.

The benefits of Functional Movement Screen in judo

“…Therefore, FMS fits perfectly in this description as it checks functional movement asymmetries between different parts of the body and from the total score, gives an assessment of movement, which helps us to prevent the occurrence of injuries (Šimenko, 2012). The overall FMS score of 17.56 was higher than the scores of Polish elite judokas (medalist group) 15.52 and non-medalist group 13.91 (Boguszewski et al, 2017). Similar but lower FMS score was found in elite Slovak judokas with the FMS score 17 (Ciz et al, 2017) and Slovenian judokas 16.94 (Šimenko, 2012) but in those studies the sample was comprised from males and females.…”

“…The FMS test was carried out before exercise or warm-up from 10-12 am in the clubs of participants. The subject performs a given task three times, and the rater evaluates the best performance (Boguszewski et al, 2017). The screening was done by a qualified FMS evaluator.…”

“…In judo, FMS has not been widely used as our research shows only four papers on it (Boguszewski, Buda, Adamczyk, & Białoszewski, 2017;Ciz, Štefanovský, Matejová, & Lopata, 2017;Jerman, Dolenc, & Šimenko, 2017;Šimenko, 2012). Till now it was used on recreational judokas (Jerman et al, 2017) and in elite judo athletes (Boguszewski et al, 2017;Ciz et al, 2017;Šimenko, 2012). Higher FMS scores in judo have been shown to positively correlate with a higher number of victories and to distinguish between medalist and non-medalist groups (Boguszewski et al, 2017).…”

“…The FMS™ is comprised of seven fundamental movement patterns (tests) that require a balance of mobility and stability (including neuromuscular/motor control) (Cook et al, 2014a) and include movement tasks that assess hip flexion, external, and internal rotation, as well as core stability and abduction/adduction of the shoulder joints (Kraus et al, 2014). In judo, FMS has not been widely used as our research shows only four papers on it (Boguszewski, Buda, Adamczyk, & Białoszewski, 2017;Ciz, Štefanovský, Matejová, & Lopata, 2017;Jerman, Dolenc, & Šimenko, 2017;Šimenko, 2012). Till now it was used on recreational judokas (Jerman et al, 2017) and in elite judo athletes (Boguszewski et al, 2017;Ciz et al, 2017;Šimenko, 2012).…”

“…Till now it was used on recreational judokas (Jerman et al, 2017) and in elite judo athletes (Boguszewski et al, 2017;Ciz et al, 2017;Šimenko, 2012). Higher FMS scores in judo have been shown to positively correlate with a higher number of victories and to distinguish between medalist and non-medalist groups (Boguszewski et al, 2017).…”