Evaluating the Performance Profile of Immature Male Freestyle Wrestlers Following a 16-Week Age-Specific Training Program Using a Battery of Wrestling Performance Tests

Maturity is one of the main confounding variables in evaluating the physical, physiological and functional characteristics of immature wrestlers. The aim of this research was to investigate 16 weeks of age-based training on the physical and functional abilities of immature male freestyle wrestlers using a specific test.

The present study was a semi-experimental field study. Eighteen male freestyle wrestlers, divided into two age groups (12-13 years and 15-16 years), participated in a 16-week age-specific training program. Before and after the training period, isometric strength of the back and leg muscles, upper body power, and performance of the subjects during a specific wrestling performance test (SWPT) conducted over two 2-minute rounds were evaluated. The findings were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon tests, with a significance level of P<0.05, using SPSS software version 24.

Comparison of SWPT scores revealed significant differences only in the sled pull station. Adolescents showed improvements in power output by 41.92% in the first half (P=0.003) and 23.89% in the second half (P=0.003). Children demonstrated improvements of 75.38% in the first half (P=0.043) and 284.13% in the second half (P=0.043). Additionally, the medicine ball throw test outside the SWPT showed improvements of 15.79% (P=0.036) and 27.68% (P=0.028) in both groups. No significant changes were observed in isometric strength.

It appears that the effectiveness of age-specific training in pre-pubescent age groups requires longer training periods based on developmental characteristics, with a focus on exercises that prioritize neuromuscular coordination and movement and technical patterns.