Questionnaire-based assessment for monitoring the condition of female pole-acrobatics athletes: cluster and correlation analyses

Background. Monitoring the functional state of athletes undergoing intense asymmetric loads, as in pole acrobatics, traditionally relies on comprehensive instrumental assessments (dynamometry, bioimpedance, electromyography) that must be repeated several times. However, these methods are expensive, time-consuming, and poorly suited for frequent use, especially during rehabilitation for identified dysfunctions or injuries. This necessitates the development of accessible and reliable tests. Aim. To determine the validity of replacing repeated instrumental studies of athletes' functional state (electrophysiological, strength, visual) with a questionnaire during their rehabilitation. Materials and Methods. A retrospective analysis of archival data from 20 female pole acrobatics athletes (aged 23–40 years) was conducted. The analysis included 58 instrumental para­meters from previous studies (dynamometry, bioimpedance analysis, surface and stimulation electromyography, photogrammetry) and 50 questionnaire responses. Due to the non-normal distribution of the data, non-parametric methods were applied: hierarchical cluster analysis (Ward's method) and Spearman's rank correlations. The cluster analysis grouped the questionnaire items and instrumental parameters into five meaningful domains that fully corresponded to the instrumental constructs: strength indicators, body morphology, postural symmetry, neuromuscular activation, and neuromuscular excitability. Results. Within the clusters, fifteen stable and strong correlations were identified (|ρ|=[0.60–0.88]; p<0.05), which demonstrates the high convergent validity of the questionnaire. The most informative items were found to be Nos.25, 48, 49 (for strength); Nos.27, 23 (for body composition); Nos.1, 2 (for posture); Nos.20, 29 (for surface EMG); and Nos.41, 40 (for stimulation EMG). Conclusions. The developed questionnaire captures variations in key physiological indicators and can replace repeated instrumental assessments when monitoring the condition of female athletes’ post-rehabilitation. Keywords: bioimpedance analysis, surface and stimulation electromyography, postural indices, strength imbalance.