BIODYNAMIC VARIABLES AND COMPETITIVE PERFORMANCE IN HANDBIKE AND PARALYMPIC POWERLIFTING ATHLETES: A PILOT STUDY

Abstract

Performance in Paralympic sport depends on the interaction among neuromuscular, metabolic, and structural variables. The identification of biodynamic markers associated with competitive performance remains a challenge, particularly in sports that rely predominantly on the upper limbs. This study investigated the association between biodynamic variables and competitive performance in Handbike and Paralympic Powerlifting parathletes. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 10 high-performance parathletes (9 men and 1 woman), including 5 Paralympic Powerlifting athletes and 5 Handbike athletes. Body composition was assessed by DXA, isometric strength by handgrip dynamometry, dynamic strength by medicine ball throw, and upper-limb anaerobic power by the Wingate test. Performance was determined using official competition rankings. In the total sample, mean power (r = −0.716; p = 0.020) and peak power (r = −0.648; p = 0.043) showed significant associations with competitive ranking. Gynoid fat percentage was also associated with performance (r = −0.667; p = 0.035), suggesting an influence of non-contractile body mass on competitive efficiency. In the sport-specific analysis, training experience was strongly correlated with performance in Paralympic Powerlifting (r = −0.892; p = 0.042), whereas lower-limb bone mineral density was associated with performance in Handbike (r = −0.999; p = 0.017). Upper-limb anaerobic power emerges as a potential integrative marker of competitive performance in Paralympic sports dependent on upper-limb function. Regional body-composition aspects and structural variables also demonstrate sport-specific relevance. These findings provide practical support for monitoring, training prescription, and the development of evaluation models that are more sensitive to the demands of high-performance Paralympic sport.