engleski

Allometric Scaling for Relative Strength Tests in Croatian Army Recruits

Test results for assessment of physical fitness are often being presented as simple performance to mass ratio. The most vivid example of such representation can be seen in expressing maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max ; l∙min-1) in relative values according to body mass (ml∙min-1∙kg-1), and moreover, even greater number of tests results are not being presented in relative manner, for example test of relative strength such as tests supporting and managing body weight like pull-ups, push-ups etc. Such approach is based on a linear relationship between body size and the tested value in case of oxygen uptake or independence of body size in case of the test of relative strength. But such generally accepted relations between body size and human performance variables are inconsistent with theoretically and experimentally determined values, especially as far as relative strength tests were concerned. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the nature of relationship between indicators of body size (body mass, fat free mass and body height) and results in tests of relative strength, also determine allometric coefficients (AC) for those tests and compare them with theoretical ones. The study was conducted on a sample of 571 military men, members of Croatian Army aged 19.1 to 51.5 years. The results indicate that experimentally derived AC for relative strength do not significantly differ from theoretical ones when body mass and height are concerned bBMav=-0, 99 vs. bBM=-0, 33 and bBHav=-2, 27 vs. bBH=-1, but for fat free mass bFFMav=-0, 13 it significantly differs from the theoretical value bFFM=-0, 33. Therefore, this research partially confirmed theoretical predictions and introduced new facts in the field of relative strength which is greatly limited by body size.

normalization, relative strength, allometry

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