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Vol. 14 №3 (2026)

Article

CHANGES IN BODY COMPOSITION INDICATORS OF HIGHLY SKILLED SKI JUMPERS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF STRENGTH EXERCISES WITH DIFFERENT POSTURAL STABILITY REQUIREMENTS (0.5 Mb, pdf) Read
Authors:
Velkov Alexander Alexandrovich
Kryuchkov Andrey Sergeevich
Keywords:
body composition
strength training
elite athletes
ski jumping
postural control
unstable force field method
Annotation:

Study objective: To compare the effects of two strength training methods on body composition in highly skilled ski jumpers.

Study Methods and Organization: The study design involved an experimental comparison of athletes' morphological responses to two strength training methods implemented during two preparatory mesocycles (May-October 2022 and 2023). Subjects in the first subgroup (n = 10) performed exclusively traditional strength exercises on a stable support surface. Subjects in the second subgroup (n = 6) used combinations of strength exercises, in which traditional exercises accounted for 70%, and the remaining 30% were performed under unstable conditions, either through an unstable surface, an unstable external load, or a combination of both. To minimize the influence of dietary factors, the athletes adhered to a standardized diet, monitored by national team specialists.

Study Results and Discussion: Although some intragroup differences are statistically significant, the scientific evidence regarding the differential impact of strength training exercises with different postural stability requirements on the fat and muscle components of body composition in highly skilled athletes can be considered confirmed based on the results of the effect size analysis (Cohen's d) and the CLES parameter. Strength training performed under unstable conditions (with increasing external resistance and decreasing instability and speed) tends to result in greater muscle mass gains and fat loss. «Traditional» strength training (at the trend level) tends to promote greater muscle mass gains in elite ski jumpers.

Conclusion: When performing strength exercises, the magnitude and direction of changes in the fat and muscle components of the body composition of elite ski jumpers are influenced by the type of instability, the magnitude of the external load, and the speed of the movement.

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