Quantificação da carga de treinamento, ingestão alimentar e adaptações neuromusculares durante uma pré-temporada de ginástica aeróbica

Abstract

The pre-season period is characterized by training that seeks to develop the physical abilities of athletes, during this phase, it is also common for athletes to optimize their body composition to prepare for the competitive period. In this sense, training and nutrition together are determining factors for the success of a high-performance athlete in their modality, especially in weight-sensitive sports, where this variable is considered a performance factor, as in aerobic gymnastics (GAE). Thus, combining these variables by understanding the training demands, as well as food intake, becomes essential to achieve optimal physical performance. The present study aimed to analyze training demands and food intake as well as to monitor changes in physical performance and body composition in GAE athletes during a pre-season. This study was a longitudinal research approved by the Ethics and Research with Human Beings Committee (5,354,023). The sample consisted of six high-performance GAE female athletes (age = 22.6 ± 1.2 years, height = 158.1 ± 5.2 cm, weight = 54.1 ± 4.1 kg, body fat = 20.9 ± 2.3%, experience in GAE 10 ± 2 years). At the start of pre-season training, anthropometry and body composition data (i.e., height, weight, percentage of fat and lean mass) and performance measures (i.e., upper and lower limb strength, abdominal and extensor muscles) were collected. spine, power of lower limbs, flexibility and anaerobic capacity). After that, the trainings were monitored for four weeks and the weekly training load (WTL) was evaluated using the RPE session method, in parallel, the evaluation of food intake was performed using four food records. At the end of the pre-season period, the initial tests were repeated. A descriptive analysis of the data was carried out, using the paired Wilcoxon test to compare performance and body composition variables. The training load was analyzed through a Friedman's two-way ANOVA multiple comparison with Wilcoxon's post-hoc. Percent change (Δ%) and effect size (ES) were also used. In all analyses, the significance level adopted was p<0.05. The mean CIT of the four weeks was 1169 ± 403 AU, with a significant difference only between the third (highest CIT recorded) and fourth (lowest CIT recorded). Mean PSE was 4 ± 1, and mean volume was 83 ± 16 minutes. No difference was found for strain and monotony between weeks. Significant improvements were observed for upper limb strength (p = 0.02; Δ 7.63%; ES = 0.91), spine extensor strength (p = 0.03; Δ = 10.71%; TE = 0.84), flexibility (p = 0.02; Δ = 3.20%; TE = 0.89) and anaerobic capacity (p = 0.02; Δ = -7.41%; ES = 0.89) after the training period. The gymnasts were not reaching their estimated energy needs (Δ = -19.30%) as well as the carbohydrate intake recommendations (Δ = -23.80%) and protein (Δ = -2.75%), but they presented a small surplus in the consumption of lipids (Δ = 1.44%). Interestingly, no significant changes were observed in anthropometry and body composition parameters. It was concluded that the gymnasts achieved the pre-season goal of improving physical conditioning, even with low training loads. However, there was no improvement in body composition, which may be related to the poor composition of macronutrients in the athletes' diet. Although only the pre-season period was analyzed, this study contributes to a more robust body of evidence with athletes of the modality, collaborating with the foundation of professionals who work with this public.