The effects of kyokushin karate training on the anthropometry and body composition of advanced female and male practitioners

Abstract

The physical requirements put before contemporary athletes are rigorous and strictly defined and only an elite few possess the physical capacity and preparation to succeed. These requirements are mostly related to the construction of the physical body, the athletes motor, tactical and psychological skills; all of which determine the level of sports achievement obtained or the desired sport result [1,2]. Significant impact on the athlete’s potential capacity has his physique, whereas the body composition (for example fat free mass FFM, adipose tissue – fat mass FM, total amount of body water TBW) determines the level of achievements in many sports. Training regimes used in sport, including martial arts like kyokushin karate, affect the parameters of individuals’ cardio-respiratory and musculoskeletal system, body weight and especially body composition. Body composition assessments are widely used in sports and recreation centers as well as in fitness facilities, gyms, clinics, hospitals, medical and dietary research centers and help to determine the level of body fat and lean tissue in the body. There are many methods of determining body composition, including: bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasounds and isotopic methods [3,4,5]. The usefulness of these methods in sport diagnosis is unquestionable, however, for economic reasons using them on daily basis is severely limited. Due to this limitation, methods of body composition examination such as bioelectrical impedance (BIA), which is fast, noninvasive, reproducible and reliable while requiring little financial commitment, have become very popular [4]. Analysis of the body composition allows to control changes in body weight while preparing for competitions and also defines the content of fat, lean tissue and water in the body thus allowing to control changes in the training process. It gives the opportunity to monitor the resting metabolism, which in turn helps to specify daily energy expenditure. It was hypothesized that kyokushin karate training and additional physical activity practiced by advanced athletes will result in alternation of their body composition.