Physiological and Performance Determinants of Competitive Fitness Challenge: A Multidimensional Analysis of Strength, Endurance, and Functional Performance
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65222/Keywords:
Abstract
Fitness Challenge is an emerging competitive discipline characterized by the repeated execution of standardized strength-oriented and functional exercises under strict time constraints. Despite its rapid international development, the physiological and performance characteristics associated with competitive success have not yet been sufficiently established in the scientific literature. The purpose of this paper was to identify and critically integrate the main physiological and performance determinants potentially relevant to competitive Fitness Challenge. A structured integrative review was conducted using peer-reviewed research addressing muscular strength, local muscular endurance, aerobic capacity, anaerobic performance, functional fitness, fatigue, recovery, body composition, and performance prediction in high-intensity functional and hybrid exercise modalities. Official technical documentation defining the competitive demands of Fitness Challenge was also examined. Three research questions guided the analysis: which physiological capacities are most likely to influence Fitness Challenge performance, how evidence from related functional exercise modalities can inform the understanding of this discipline, and which variables should be prioritized in future Fitness Challenge-specific assessment models. The evidence indicates that competitive performance is unlikely to depend on a single physiological characteristic. Rather, it appears to emerge from the interaction between relative muscular strength, local muscular endurance, aerobic recovery capacity, anaerobic energy provision, movement efficiency, and resistance to fatigue. The main contribution of this paper is the proposal of a multidimensional framework for interpreting and investigating Fitness Challenge performance. This framework may provide a scientific foundation for athlete assessment, training prescription, talent identification, and future discipline-specific experimental research.
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