Oxygen uptake and cardiorespiratory responses during selected fighting techniques in judo and kendo

Abstract

The goal of this study was to compare oxygen uptake (VO2 ) and cardiorespiratory responses during two selected fighting techniques in kendo and judo and to express the effort levels required to those measured during a maximal incremental exercise test. Eight males, aged 22.8 ± 2.9 years, with a moderate level of ability in fighting sport, volunteered for the study. They randomly performed once a week a maximal exercise test on cycle ergometer, and a judo and kendo fighting session, respectively, against the same adversary. VO2 and cardiorespiratory responses were measured at rest, at each minute during 3 min of fighting and during a maximal incremental exercise test, with a Cosmed K2 telemetric gas exchange analyzer. Aerobic energy expenditure was calculated during the 3 fighting minutes as the difference between VO2 determined at each minute and VO2 at rest. The judo technique required a subject wearing the Cosmed K2 to remain upright and throw his adversary down. For the adversary, it consists to raise subject with the Cosmed K2 from ground. The kendo technique consists of fighting with stick according to an adapted federal kendo rule. At rest, there was no difference between judo and kendo in all cardiorespiratory variables including VO2. The VO2 reached a high percentage of the maximal value at the 3rd minute of fighting but did not differ, respectively, between judo and kendo [1st min: 14.79 ± 5.05 (28%) vs. 17.75 ± 3.8 (34%), 2nd min: 35.39 ± 12.85 (68%) vs. 34.38 ±5.54 (66%) and 3rd min: 40.73±4.05 (78%) vs. 34.14±6.13 (65%)ml ‐min−1 ‐kg−1]. Analysis of ventilatory gas exchange lead to similar results with largest percentage for judo and kendo compared with the VO2 max test respiratory variables at the 3rd minute for pulmonary ventilation [1st min: 33.31 ± 10.89 (32%) vs. 38.55±4.2 (37%), 2nd min: 63.78± 16.64 (62%) vs. 59.01 ±11.15 (57%) and 3rd min: 71.51 ±15.87 (69%) vs. 61.68± 12.55 (60%) 1‐min−1], tidal volume [1st min: 1.31 ±0.40 vs. 1.33±0.48, 2nd min: 1.94±0.49 vs. 1.86±0.41, and 3rd min: 2.08 ± 0.5 vs. 1.97 ± 0.39 1], and breathing frequency [1st min: 26.91 ± 8.23 vs. 2.62 ± 7.02, 2nd min: 33.99 ± 6.64 vs. 32.96 ± 5.97, and 3rd min: 35.60 ± 6.64 vs. 32.72 ± 5.73 cycle · min−1]. Cardiac responses also reached high percentages at the 3rd minute but values remain identical for heart rate [1st min: 130±22 (70%) vs. 137±21 (73%), 2nd min: 161±18 (86%) vs. 157± 13 (84%), and 3rd min: 166± 18 (89%) vs. 162±13 (86%) beat‐min−1], and oxygen pulse [1st min: 8±2.1 vs. 9.4±2.4, 2nd min: 15.62±3.88 vs. 15.84±2.60, and 3rd min: 17.85±3.24 vs. 15.22±2.68ml‐kg−1 ‐beat−1]. These results indicate that, in practical conditions, the two selected fighting techniques of judo and kendo require a similar and large oxygen uptake and cardiorespiratory response.