Factor Structure of Motor Abilities in Judo Athletes

Abstract

Regular judo practice over a long period of time affects the optimal development of athletes, improves the structure of their psychosomatic status, and affects their morphological characteristics and motor skills. This research was conducted on a purposive sample of respondents with the primary aim of determining the factor structure of the motor abilities of judokas, using a cross-sectional model. The sample consisted of members of the wider male judo national team of Serbia, specifically 25 cadet and junior competitors between the ages of 15 and 21, who were in final preparations for the European Championships in Lithuania and EYOF in Hungary. The weight categories included in the study ranged from 50 to 100 kilograms. A total of 9 variables were used to assess the motor abilities of judokas, namely: three variables for assessing repetitive strength (push-ups, bench press and trunk hyperextension), three variables for evaluating explosive strength (vertical jump with arm swing, vertical jump after a drop in depth and bench press) and three variables for evaluating isometric strength (arm dynamometry, isometric back strength and isometric leg strength). By applying factor analysis, orthogonal and Varimax solutions and the Guttman-Kaiser criterion, the structure of the examined motor abilities space was determined, which resulted in the extraction of two dominant factors: a mechanism for regulating the intensity of excitation and a mechanism for regulating the duration of excitation.