Taekwondo Routines do not Improve Working Memory in Children

Abstract

There is scientific evidence supporting the beneficial effects of martial arts practice on cognitive variables; however, there is no evidence regarding the effects of practicing specific taekwondo routines on working memory (WM) in Costa Rican children. PURPOSE:To examine the chronic effects of a taekwondo training program (poomsae) on WM in sedentary children. METHODS: Twenty-six children (8 males and 18 females, mean age = 10.9 ± 1.0 years) were randomly allocated to either a) 60-min of the first taekwondo poomsae standardized routine, or b) no practice of poomsae. Children in the taekwondo poomsae group performed two sessions per week for four weeks. Exercise consisted of a defined pattern of defense-and-attack movements taught by a black-belt taekwondo expert. Executive control (EC) was measured as a WM variable using the Words Backward (WBT), Digits Forward (DFT) and Digits Backward Tests (DBT) at the beginning (pre-test) and at the end of the program (post-test). RESULTS: Two-way analysis of variance with repeated measures on one factor (time) revealed no statistically significant between-group interactions on EC measured by DFT (p = 0.23), DBT (p = 1.0), and WBT (p = 0.11). Statistically significant main effects were obtained for measures of EC obtained by WBT (pre-test = 25.6 ± 6.6 vs. post-test = 28.1 ± 5.9, p = 0.01) and DBT (pre-test = 2.6 ± 0.9 vs. post-test = 3.3 ± 1.1, p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Taekwondo standardized training (poomsae) does not improve working memory in sedentary Costa Rican children.