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[Abstract]: The pandemic caused by the COVID 19 Virus creates an unprecedented situation of global confinement altering the development of competition and sports training at all levels of participation and in all sports, including rhythmic gymnastics (RG). To avoid possible effects of physical, technical and psychological detraining, coaches looked for home training alternatives. The objectives of the study were to know how rhythmic gymnastics training developed during the lockdown period (the conditions, type of training, performance monitoring means, and determinants of gymnasts’ participation) and to provide recommendations for a possible future lockdown. Three hundred and two RG coaches from twenty-six different countries throughout the five continents and four professional levels took part in the study: national team (28), international (26), national (172) and regional (75). The data collection tool was a questionnaire consisting of 39 closed questions structured in three dimensions: identification data of the coaches, training data during confinement and gymnast participation data. The independent variable was the gymnasts’ performance levels and the dependent variables organized in four categories: the technical media used to conduct and monitor the training sessions, the type of training done, the mechanisms for monitoring training performance and the aspects that determined participation. Most coaches kept their gymnasts training during confinement, although 76.5% confirm abandonment of any of their gymnasts. The main means used were real-time video conferencing, although at the lower practice levels the media stand out in deferred time. The contents of the training were mainly body technique, physical preparation and body difficulties. For performance monitoring, challenges, physical, and technical tests were predominant. The determinants for the development of training in the confinement vary depending on the level of the gymnasts, connectivity and elect

[Abstract] The objectives of the study were to determine the influence of foot morphology on performance in Rhythmic Gymnastics and to analyze the influence of years of practice. The sample consisted of 48 gymnasts who had practiced federated gymnastics and competed during the last year. The results indicate that the gymnasts have predominantly a neutral foot and with a normal footprint, presenting enough asymmetry between feet, not significant, which may be a consequence of asymmetric work and should be corrected in training. Only the range of amplitude of the talocrural joint seems to be a characteristic of foot morphology that affects technical performance and seems more an innate characteristic. The practice of rhythmic gymnastics might not be as decisive a factor as could be supposed in the morphological modifications of the footprint., [Resumen] Los objetivos del estudio fueron determinar la influencia de la morfología del pie en el rendimiento en Gimnasia Rítmica y analizar la influencia de los años de práctica. La muestra estaba compuesta por 48 gimnastas que habían practicado gimnasia federada y competido durante el último año. Los resultados indican que las gimnastas tienen predominantemente un pie neutro y con huella normal, presentando bastante asimetría entre pies, no significativa, lo que puede ser consecuencia de un trabajo asimétrico y debería ser corregido en el entrenamiento. Sólo el rango de amplitud de la articulación talocrural parece ser una característica de la morfología del pie que incida sobre el rendimiento técnico y parece más una característica innata. La práctica de la Gimnasia Rítmica podría no ser un factor tan decisivo como podía suponerse en las modificaciones morfológicas de la huella plantar.

[Abstract]: The aim of this study was to identify the training variables that can determine the score in elite rhythmic gymnasts. Seven female rhythmic gymnasts participated in the study (age 15.7 ± 1.2). Performance data were collected from elite gymnasts (n=7) in competition exercises executed over 10 sessions occurring in the competition period. Additional variables such as heart rate, subjective rate of perceived exertion, competition category, number of apparatus, number of competitive exercises and number of training sessions were also collected. Data were examined using linear regression. Results showed that the heart rate average values ranged between 137 and 154 beats per minute. At the end of the competitive period, a decrease in the perceived exertion and the average score of the exercises were observed. An increase in the heart rate (p <0.01) and in the perceived exertion (p <0.05) has a positive impact on the total final score. The variables of heart rate and subjective rate of perceived exertion are significant to control the effects of training on the performance of individual rhythmic gymnasts. Moreover, they enable the coaches to control the training load in an affordable and reliable way.

The aim of this study was to identify the training variables that can determine the score in elite rhythmic gymnasts. Seven female rhythmic gymnasts participated in the study (age 15.7 ± 1.2). Performance data were collected from elite gymnasts (n=7) in competition exercises executed over 10 sessions occurring in the competition period. Additional variables such as heart rate, subjective rate of perceived exertion, competition category, number of apparatus, number of competitive exercises and number of training sessions were also collected. Data were examined using linear regression. Results showed that the heart rate average values ranged between 137 and 154 beats per minute. At the end of the competitive period, a decrease in the perceived exertion and the average score of the exercises were observed. An increase in the heart rate (p <0.01) and in the perceived exertion (p <0.05) has a positive impact on the total final score. The variables of heart rate and subjective rate of perceived exertion are significant to control the effects of training on the performance of individual rhythmic gymnasts. Moreover, they enable the coaches to control the training load in an affordable and reliable way.

Rhythmic Gymnastics is as a complex artistic and aesthetic sport with a particular training process and which demands high levels of physical and psychological stress in competition. Not many studies explain a good proposal which determinate the predictors of a competitive performance and a useful interaction-model of training and sport performance for the different context, ages and levels in rhythmic gymnastic. In this perspective, based on a critical examination of the literature about “Rhythmic Gymnastics” and “Performance”, the aim of this research was to identify the factors that have been studied to predict a higher performance in Rhythmic Gymnastics, analyze them and determinate an "effectively training proposal" to achieve the higher results in competitions. We divided the references in different groups: a) Physiological and biological condition; b) Technical aspects; c) Psychological factors; d) Training process, e) Other dimensions and f) Performance analysis. The results show that most studies on rhythmic gymnastics are descriptive studies about a topic, fewer studies have examined one or more variables related with the performance and more scarce are the studies that show a global perspective and try to explain the predictor of the level of performance. In conclusion, we found some determinants of a competitive performance in Rhythmic Gymnastics which define our proposal. Further intervention studies and studies on the way of the Metamodel studies, “The theoretical and interaction of training and sport performance”, would permit identify the contribution of each factor to the performance and would explain our model on a properly and scientifically way.