Athletic preparation modeling of female and male biathletes of different performance levels

Biathlon is characterized by the full range of psychophysiological effects as a specific feature on the athlete’s body while sliding on skis and shooting. The skiing sport is specified by long dynamic movement, whereas shooting is a static sport, requiring the ability to concentrate and restrain oneself from environmental factors (Gerasimuk, 2002; Baca, Kornfeind, 2012; Vonheim, 2012; Hansen, 2014). The adequate assessment of special athletes’ work efficiency during each preparation period, the identification of interaction between sports preparation and athletic fitness and the creation of optimal training models at different phases of the annual cycle appear to be the most relevant issues in athletes’ training process of the above mentioned sports. Preparation and evaluation of female biathletes’ training models is related to the athletes’ body functional capacities and the indicators of general and special physical and mental fitness (Hoffmann, Street, 1992; Manfredini et al., 2002; Čepulėnas, 2004; Valleala et al., 2006; Holmberg et al., 2006; Ronnestad et al., 2015). Preparation management of high performance female and male biathletes is associated with the forecasting, the individual characteristics of athletic fitness, the data evaluation of physical development and the establishment of optimal age range for the best sports results’ achievement (Carlson, 2009; Liu et al., 2010; Čepulėnas, Kočergina, 2010; Paugschova et al., 2010; Hansen, 2014). Sportsman is a part of complex dynamic system, and his athletic fitness ability is measured as variable, dependent on many factors. Scientific literature on sports suggests that little research has yet been done on the interaction between preparation and athletic fitness models of female and male biathletes of different age and sports mastery at different phases of preparation. The scientific problem – to find out how to improve the preparation of different performance biathletes for competitions, how to qualitatively apply athletes’ preparation under existing conditions, how to identify the key factors influencing sports performance progress, to assess the athlete body’s adaptation to physical loads during the annual training cycle. The scientific work still lacks deeper research in interaction between individual components of female biathletes’ athletic fitness: the performed physical load, general and special physical fitness. Additionally, the positive effect of hypoxia on endurance sports has long been known in scientific literature. Although scientific data contains a lot of research on the diverse impact of the alpine conditions on athletes’ body, the issues of height dynamics, consistency, their effect on training and other ones still remain unsolved. Moreover, a shortage of scientific information about the precompetition mental states of female and male biathletes still exists. Very little analysis has been done on the peculiarities of self-efficacy, emotional states and anxiety development of athletes of these winter sports during annual training cycle. No data has been found on the interaction between the identified components of mental fitness and other indicators of athletic fitness as well as sports performance. Research hypothesis: the athletic preparation model of different performance female and male biathletes based on scientific research and the application of diverse training methods and tools will lead to possible improvement in biathletes’ preparation process, increased athletic fitness and the creation of program focused on more effective preparation of young biathletes. Research aim: to identify and evaluate the relationship between the different performance biathletes’ athletic preparation model and sports results. Objectives: 1. To determine the effect of female biathletes’ training workloads on competition result indicators. 2. To identify changes in elite female biathletes’ body adaptation and level of athletic fitness parameters in alpine conditions. 3. To assess the impact of special individualized training mesocycle on the dynamics of elite female biathletes’ functional capacities. 4. To evaluate the effectiveness of an experimental program on the indices of young female biathletes’ athletic fitness. 5. To establish the interaction of expression of female biathletes’ mental features (self-efficacy, emotional states, anxiety) and their shooting results during competition. Theoretical significance and novelty of the research Research data analysis has established the individual qualitative and quantitative indicators of Lithuanian female biathletes’ sports performance. The structure and its individual components of direct preparation for competition, expressed in sports performance parameters, have been examined. The link between successful Lithuanian female biathletes’ performance in different distance competitions has been analyzed and established. The dynamics of biathletes’ cardiovascular functional indices at different phases of annual training cycle has also been evaluated. The influence of different performance Lithuanian female biathletes’ body adaptation to training workloads in flat terrain and altitude settings has been investigated. The effect of Lithuanian biathletes’ expression of mental qualities and their interaction with sports results has been analyzed. The effect of young biathletes’ muscle strength on athletic fitness and functional indices has been identified. The impact of young biathletes’ shooting skills’ improvement on the indicators of special athletic fitness has been found. Originality of research A detailed examination of different performance Lithuanian female and male biathletes’ course of preparation during the annual cycle as well as its structure and content has been performed for the first time. Practical application The research data should be useful in preparing skiing and biathlon theory lectures for students specializing in physical education and sports. The obtained data may be advantageous for skiing and biathlon coaches in preparing individual training and sports performance programs for male and female skiers and biathletes. The research results may be applicable not only in the creation of programs for the annual cycle of Lithuanian National Skiing or Biathlon Team members but of programs for the four-year Olympic cycle as well. CONCLUSIONS 1. A positive diverse influence of training workloads on biathletes’ sports performance indicators has been determined. Best shooting results were achieved (prone and standing) in the middle of the preparatory phase in summer and at the beginning phase of winter competition; the best sliding results – at the beginning of winter competition. The best average shooting accuracy results of biathletes were achieved in prone position and in pursuit race. However, shooting accuracy after stress management was the weakest point during the preparatory phase of control competition. The analysis of annual preparation plan showed that Lithuanian biathletes for the World Championships were prepared purposefully, and the training workload applied was adequate. 2. The total positive adaptation body change and functional capacity increase of female biathletes was identified in application of the training model of five consecutive microcycles in different alpine altitudes. The application of three training microcycles 1700 meters above sea level influenced the decrease in anaerobic (ANAE) creatinphosphatic (KP) and glycolytic (GL) indices and then immediately afterwards two training microcycles held in 1100 m altitude led to significant increase in the above mentioned indices and rise in general metabolic capacity (GMC). 3. Individualized special training mesocycle workloads had an effective impact on the dynamics of biathletes’ functional capacities. Our study confirmed that the applied individual aerobic and anaerobic workloads in endurance and speed groups of biathletes significantly positively affected the dynamics of endurance and speed endurance indices after the experiment. 4. The implementation of the four-week experimental program for the young male and female biathletes showed that the training methodology was significantly effective for the tested 13‒15 years old biathletes’ strength indicators, shooting performance and functional capacities (ANAE, CP, GL, GEF). 5. The investigation revealed the differences in expression of mental qualities of female and male biathletes before the competition and different level of individual mental differences. Before the competition, female and male biathletes were characterized by good mood and well-being, low situational anxiety level, the average level of competitive anxiety, the high level of overall self-efficacy and mid-level of physical self-efficacy. Cognitive anxiety was more distinct than somatic anxiety; however, personality anxiety was higher than situational anxiety. It was found that there was a significant correlation between indices of cognitive anxiety, personality, anxiety, activity, general self-efficacy, biathletes’ perception of their physical abilities and the results during the biathlon shooting event in the competition