CORRELATION BETWEEN FAT PERCENTAGE AND MANUAL GRIP FORCE IN CHILDREN PARTICIPATING IN THE STRUGGLE PROJECT THAT TRANSFORMS

Abstract

Judo is a sport that requires manual grip force (FPM) for efficient execution of techniques, which is fundamental capacity for the control of the opponent. The objective of the study was to verify the correlation between the percentage of fat and the manual grip force of the extension project “struggle that transforms”. 18 students from the 4th grade of elementary school (9 boys and 9 girls) participated, with an average age of 10.13 years. Height, body mass, %g (by multifrequential bioimpedanciometer) and FPM (by manual dynamometry) were evaluated. The results revealed % g average of 17.31 ± 11.24, with 50 % of participants classified as "normal". The average FPM was 17.67 ± 6.69 kgf, lower than that reported in the literature for judokas of the same age group. Statistical analysis, using the *SPARARMAN *coefficient, showed very weak correlation between %G and FPM (R: 0.06; 95 %CI: -0.52 to 0.43; P: 0.825), diverging from studies that associate higher %G with lowest FPM. It is concluded that while most participants have adequate %G, the FPM is below expected, suggesting the need for specific interventions to improve this capacity. Continuous student monitoring is essential to promote improvements in sports and physical development, as well as ensuring health and quality of life benefits.