本研究の目標は男子体操における平行棒演技のパフォーマンスを滑り止め効果の高い新開発の「ハチミツ」で向上させることである．平行棒におけるこのハチミツの役割は高難度化した現代の体操において懸垂技を成功させるために重要な鍵とされており，世界中で用いられてきた選手たちの知られざる工夫である．本研究では，１）なぜハチミツが高い滑り止め効果を発揮するのか？についてそのメカニズム解明，２）ハチミツに含有される花粉に代わる代替物質の混入や溶媒としてのハチミツに代わる物質を混入させることによって，さらにグリップ力をもつ平行棒種目専用ハチミツを開発することを目的とした．研究では自然界に存在する花粉濃度と同等ならびに含有量を増加した数種の天然由来ハチミツを用意し，これに加えて花粉と同程度の大きさの微粒子である火山灰，ホタテ・カニ加工粉末，セルロースなどの食品由来，工業製品材料などを含有したハチミツを用意し，これらの粘性特性および摩擦特性試験を実施した．粘性測定にはレオメータ(Anton Paar社製）を使用した．摩擦特性の計測では平行棒表面素材の突板の木目に対して平行・垂直の二方向の滑り摩擦条件を再現できる微小摩擦測定装置を用いてそれぞれの特製ハチミツの摩擦係数の測定を行なった．レオメータによる粘性測定および摩擦測定では，従前より選手によって評価が高かった含有物が混入したハチミツが他と比較すると異なる傾向を観測することができた．
粘性特性および摩擦特性の計測に用いた特製ハチミツのうち，従前より選手間に好評であった数種類については，競技レベルの比較的高い，民間体操クラブおよび大学体操部の協力を得て選手による使用評価テストも実施した．選手による評価実験の結果は興味深く，選手の競技レベルによって最もよいと選択したハチミツに違いが見られた．しかしながら，その理由は本研究期間内では明らかにすることはできなかった．
The goal of this study is to improve the performance of men's gymnastics on the parallel bars with a newly developed "honey" that has a high anti-slip effect. The role of honey on the parallel bars is considered to be the key to successful execution of pull-ups in modern gymnastics, which has become increasingly difficult, and it is an unknown innovation used by gymnasts around the world. In this study, we investigated 1) why honey has a high anti-slip effect, 2) the mechanism of the anti-slip effect, and 3) the role of honey in the development of the suspension technique. The objectives of this research were 1) to elucidate the mechanism of why honey has a high anti-slip effect, and 2) to develop a special honey for the parallel bars that provides an even stronger grip by mixing an alternative substance to the pollen contained in honey or by mixing a substance that replaces honey as a solvent. In this study, we prepared several types of naturally occurring honey with the same or increased concentrations of pollen that exists in nature, and in addition, we prepared honey containing fine particles of the same size as pollen, such as volcanic ash, processed scallop and crab powder, food-derived materials such as cellulose, and industrial product materials, and conducted viscosity and friction property tests. The viscosity and frictional properties were tested. A rheometer (Anton Paar) was used to measure viscosity. For the measurement of frictional properties, we measured the coefficient of friction of each special honey using a micro friction measuring device that can reproduce sliding friction conditions in two directions, parallel and perpendicular to the grain of the veneer of the parallel bar surface material. In the viscosity and friction measurements using the rheometer, we were able to observe a different trend for the honey mixed with the ingredients, which had previously been highly evaluated by the players.
Among the special honeys used for the viscosity and friction measurements, several honeys that had been well received by the athletes were evaluated by the athletes with the cooperation of private gymnastics clubs and university gymnastics clubs, where the level of competition is relatively high. The results of the evaluation tests by the athletes were interesting, and there were differences in the honey selected as the best depending on the level of competition of the athletes. However, the reasons for these differences could not be clarified within the time frame of this study.