Evaluation of the relationship between body water percentage and lower extremity muscle strength, muscular endurance, and explosive power in wrestlers

Being a weight sport, wrestling is a sport in which weight adjustments are seen before the competetion period. The weight lost by wrestlers who are exposed to a high amount of weight in a shot time may be mainly due to body water, and this situation adversely affects the sportive performance of the lower extremity in wrestling, which is widely used. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between body water percentage and lower extremity muscle strength, muscular endurance and explosive power in wrestlers. 24 athletes (average age: 23±3.4 years) of the A national team wrestling in freestyle, who were 18 years of age or older, voluntarily participated in our study. Body water percentage was assesed by Inbody 770 (Inbody Co., LTD, Seoul, Korea) multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis device, muscle strength and muscular endurance by Cybex Humac Norm model (Cybex International, Inc, Ronkonkoma, NY) isokinetic dynamometer, and lower extremity explosive power with the standing long jump test. Except for the weight and height variables, all data showed normal distribution. The relationship between the dependent variables and the independent variables was tested with Pearson correlation analysis. Regression analysis was applied to the variables that were found to be correlated. According to the findings, there was a significant relationship between body water percentage and the muscle strength of the dominant knee extensors (r=0,465), dominant knee flexors (r=0,517), non-dominant knee extensors (r=0,552), and non-dominant knee flexors (r=0,620) (p<0.05). Furthermore, a significant relationship was observed between body water percentage and the muscle endurance of the dominant knee extensors (r=0,546), dominant knee flexors (r=0,575), non-dominant knee extensors (r=0,588), and non-dominant knee flexors (r=0,561) (p<0.05). As a result, we think that body water percantage may have effect on knee flexor and extansor's muscle strength and muscular endurance in wrestlers. As a result weight loss methods that reduce body water percante may adversely affect competition performance, as well as increase the risk of injury by reducing joint stabilty.