ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Physiol.
Sec. Exercise Physiology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphys.2025.1645514
This article is part of the Research TopicExercise as a Central Pillar for Targeted Health and PerformanceView all 5 articles
Can Mechanical Load and Physiological Intensity During Gymnastics Training Explain Physical Adaptations? An Observational Study
Provisionally accepted
Ying Zhou1
Liuxi Yang2*- 1Physical Education of Sichuan Normal University, 610101, Chengdu, Sichuan, China, Chengdu, China
- 2Civil Aviation Security College,Civil Aviation Flight university of China, 618300, Guanghan, China, Guanghan, China
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This study analyzed the relationships between physiological and mechanical training loads and subsequent physical strength and aerobic adaptations in youth gymnasts. A prospective cohort design monitored 40 local-level female artistic gymnasts (16.5 ± 1.1 years) over a 12-week preparatory training phase. Strength (Isometric Mid-Thigh Pull [IMTP], Countermovement Jump [CMJ]) and aerobic fitness (Multistage Aerobic Fitness Test by Luc Léger [MSAFT]) were assessed at baseline and post-intervention. Training load was continuously monitored via heart rate (TRIMP), mechanical load (jumps), and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE). Significant improvements were observed across all fitness parameters: IMTP (19.2%), CMJ (2.7%), and MSAFT (8.6%), all with large effect sizes (p<0.001). Mean session loads averaged RPE 7.25 ± 0.732, TRIMP 290.45 ± 30.343, and 105.18 ± 27.547 jumps. Jump volume significantly correlated with improvements in IMTP (r=0.478, p=0.002) and CMJ (r=0.785, p<0.001), indicating its large association with strength improvement. Conversely, RPE (r=0.775, p<0.001) and TRIMP (r=0.872, p<0.001) were largely correlated with enhanced aerobic fitness. This study showed that physiological training loads are important for aerobic adaptations, while mechanical loads, particularly jumps, drive strength and power improvements in youth gymnasts. Therefore, monitoring strategies that integrate both internal and external load parameters is essential for optimizing specific physical qualities in gymnasts.
Keywords: Artistic gymnasts, Training load monitoring, Physical Adaptations, strength, aerobic capacity, Youth athletes
Received: 11 Jun 2025; Accepted: 04 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhou and Yang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Liuxi Yang, Civil Aviation Security College,Civil Aviation Flight university of China, 618300, Guanghan, China, Guanghan, China
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