Effects of Functional Movement Skills on Parkour Speed-Run Performance

Parkour speed-runs require performers (known as Traceurs) to negotiate obstacles with divergent properties such as angles, inclinations, sizes, surfaces, and textures in the quickest way possible. The quicker the run, the higher the performer is ranked. Performance in Parkour speed-runs may be regulated through Parkour Traceurs’ basic movement skill capacities given the physical requirements of the event. This study examined what functional movement skills correlate with Parkour speed-run performance. Nineteen male Parkour Traceurs undertook a physical testing battery inclusive of: agility T-test, maximal grip strength test, and maximal vertical and horizontal jumps across several jump modalities. For the speed-run, Parkour Traceurs navigated an indoor Parkour installation. Pearson’s correlation analyses (r) revealed that agility T-test performance showed a significant negative correlation with Parkour speed-run performance, whereas standing long jump and counter movement jump (with and without arm swing) were significantly positively correlated with Parkour speed-run performance. Concurrent with the intrinsically-linked building blocks in the Athletic Skills Model, the data from the present study suggest that performance in Parkour-speed-runs are underpinned by functional movement skills (jumping, running; arm swinging) and conditions of movement (agility), all of which encapsulate elements of basic motor properties (speed; strength). From a practical perspective, the agility T-test, standing long jump, and counter movement jump without and without arm swing can form a basic battery to evaluate the physical effects of Parkour speed-run interventions on functional movement skills.