Specific fitness of elite and novice judoists

The aim of this study was to compare elite and novice judoists in the performance of a specific judo fitness test (SJFT) (Sterkowicz, 1995). The subjects were 80 judoists from Brazil and Poland, grouped according to age: younger (n = 50) – up to 21 years old, older (n = 30) – over 21 years old; competition achievement: elite (n = 33) – Brazilian or Polish National medallists or International medallists, novice (n = 47) – non medallists in National or International Championships; weight categories (60 kg, 66 kg, 73 kg, 81 kg, 90 kg, 100 kg and over 100 kg). Groups were compared by means of a two-way ANOVA for repeated measurements and MANOVA. The main results indicate: elite judoists performed a greater number of throws during the 3 series of the SJFT compared with novice judoists, demonstrating a higher anaerobic capacity in a specific setting. Elite judoist also had a lower heart rate after the SJFT and a lower index, interpreted as a better anaerobic-aerobic performance. These results indicate the capability of the SJFT to correctly differentiate elite from novice judoists and could be used in a control of training and talent identification process.