The Association Between Muscle Strength, Body Cell Mass, and Training Session Hours in Young Female Artistic Gymnasts: A Pilot Study

The identification of factors related to performance that can be improved during training is of primary interest for athletes. However, little is known about this issue among artistic gymnasts. The current pilot study aims to assess the association between training factors and anthropometric, body composition, and muscle strength (MS) variables in adolescent female artistic gymnastics. A total of 22 young female artistic gymnasts taking part in a professional team, who had a median age of 12.21 years and a median body mass index (BMI) of 18.72 kg/m2, were categorized into a competitive-level (8.00–17.00 h [h]/week) group (n = 16) and a pre-team-level (<4 h/week) one (n = 6). The training factors considered were (i) training hours per session, (ii) training hours per week, and (iii) training years. All the participants underwent complete anthropometric measurements, including body composition assessments by means of bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA), and an objective physical activity evaluation with a portable accelerometer SenseWear Armband (SWA). MS was assessed using a handgrip dynamometer. The correlation and partial correlation were evaluated to test the associations between variables. The competitive-level group had higher fat-free mass (FFM), body cell mass (BCM), and MS compared to the pre-team group. However, after adjusting for confounders, only the number of training hours per session was associated with MS (ρ = 0.445, p < 0.05) and BCM (ρ = 0.475, p < 0.05). In conclusion MS and BCM but not FFM are correlated with the number of training hours per session. Future studies are needed to test the effects of specific programs based on this training parameter on these variables, to determine whether they can impact athletic performance in young female artistic gymnasts.