Relationships between general physical performance and judo-specific power outputs in elite judo athletes: an allometric approach.

Abstract

Background: This cross-sectional study examined whether associations between general physical performance and peak power in hikite, tsurite, and morote-seoi-nage differ when variables are expressed in absolute terms or scaled to fat-free mass (FFM).

Methods: Sixty Chinese national-team judoka completed body-composition, judo-specific peak-power, vertical-jump, isometric mid-thigh pull, one-repetition maximum, and Wingate assessments. Spearman correlations were evaluated using a global Benjamini-Hochberg false-discovery-rate correction across 93 primary tests. Sex-controlled explanatory regression models were fitted, and an exponent of 0.75 was examined as a sensitivity analysis to the primary FFM^0.67 scaling.

Results: Forty-four of 54 absolute associations remained significant after false-discovery-rate correction. After FFM^0.67 scaling, significant associations remained for eight hikite and seven tsurite comparisons, whereas only scaled countermovement-jump peak force was associated with scaled morote-seoi-nage peak power (ρ = 0.369, q = 0.006). The best-fitting absolute multivariable models explained 55.8%-79.9% of adjusted sample variance. Using 0.75 did not change any false-discovery-rate significance classification.

Conclusions: Associations between general physical tests and judo-specific peak power were action-dependent and changed after scaling. Absolute values characterize total output, whereas scaled values provide complementary information relative to FFM. Direct task-specific testing remains necessary, particularly for the multi-phase morote-seoi-nage action.