(68) THE RELATION BETWEEN THE SPECIAL JUDO FITNESS TEST AND FIELD TESTING

Purpose: Judo, an Olympic sport, uses the Special Judo Fitness Test (SJFT) to predict an athlete's readiness for competition due to its sport-specific movement patterns. The SJFT is a reliable field test compared to laboratory assessments, effectively measuring an athlete's anaerobic capacity and technical execution under fatigue. However, the SJFT’s high-intensity nature and complex technical demands may elevate the risk of injury, particularly when performed frequently or close to competition. As a result, alternative field tests that provide similar insights with lower injury risk may be beneficial for monitoring an athlete's preparedness. This study aimed to identify field tests that could predict performance on the SJFT, providing alternative ways to evaluate an athlete’s readiness for performance. Methods: Ten judo athletes (age: 33.8 ± 8.3 years; height: 171.5 ± 3.7 cm; weight: 79.5 ± 9.7 kg), each holding a minimum rank of green belt and on average possessing 14 years of judo experience, participated in this study. Following a standardized judo warm-up, athletes performed the SJFT before completing a series of field tests, including the pro-agility test, six-meter timed hop, modified handgrip strength test, maximum push-ups in one-minute, modified Gi flexed-arm hang, upper quarter Y-balance test, maximum sit-ups in one minute, and the 300-yard shuttle run. During the SJFT, the total number of ippon seoi-nage (shoulder throws) performed was recorded to determine the SJFT score. Heart rates (HR) were measured immediately after the test and one-minute post-exercise. These HR values and the SJFT score were then used to calculate the SJFT index. A Pearson product-moment correlation analysis was used to examine relation between the SJFT score and index, and the various field tests followed by a backward stepwise regression analysis, to identify predictors of the SJFT score and index, (p = 0.05). Results: The SJFT score correlated with the pro-agility (r =-0.70) and the six-meter hop (r=-0.73), and the SJFT index correlated with the pro-agility (r=0.73) and the 300-yard shuttle run (r=0.73), p< 0.05. A backward stepwise regression analysis revealed that the SJFT score can be predicted using the six-meter hop tests (R²=0.52, p=0.018), SJFT score = 43.128 − 10.106 × (Six-meter Hop). Whereas the SJFT index can be predicted using the 300-yard shuttle run (R²=0.53, p=0.017), SJFT index = -14.034 + 0.386 × (300-yard shuttle run). Conclusions: The six-meter hop test explains 52% of the variance in the SJFT score, indicating it is a moderately strong predictor. Similarly, 300-yard shuttle run test explains 53% of the variance in the SJFT index, indicating it is a moderately strong predictor. Practical Applications: Our study suggests that coaches can use field tests, such as the six-meter hop to predict the SJFT score and the 300-yard shuttle run to estimate the SJFT index, reducing the need for frequent SJFT administration and minimizing injury risk. These simplified field tests can be conducted more frequently throughout the training cycle to assess training effectiveness while limiting SJFT performance to possibly a few times a year. This approach helps monitor judo-specific performance, optimize training, and reduce injury risk. Acknowledgements: None