Assessment of Maximal Cardiorespiratory Performance and Muscle Power in the Italian Olympic Judoka

Abstract

The main purposes of this study were to describe the cardiorespiratory fitness and lower limbs maximal muscle power of a selected group of Olympic Italian male (M) and female (F) judokas. Eleven subjects (6 M, 5 F) underwent 3 different tests. The VO(2)max and ventilatory threshold (VT; V-slope method) were assessed during a graded maximal treadmill test. Lower limbs muscle peak power (PP) and mean power (MP) were determined during a 30-second Wingate test (WIN). Post-WIN blood lactate peak was also measured. Subjects were tested also during a 5-minute combat test (CT), during which blood lactate and heart rate (HR) were monitored. VO(2)max (mean +/- SD) was 47.3 +/- 10.9 and 52.9 +/- 4.4 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1) for M and F judokas, respectively. The VT corresponded to 80.8% (M) and 86.5% (F) of VO(2)max. Both PP and MP, measured during the WIN, were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in M than in F judokas (PP: 12.1 +/- 2.4 vs. 9.5 +/- 1.1 W x kg(-1); MP: 5.4 +/- 1.1 W x kg(-1); F: 4.3 +/- 0.5 W x kg(-1)). Post WIN blood lactate peak was 6.9 +/- 2.8 mmol x l(-1) and 6.1 +/- 1.8 mmol x l(-1) for M and F judokas, respectively (not significant). During the CT blood lactate peak was 9.9 +/- 3.0 mmol x l(-1) (M) and 9.2 +/- 2.0 mmol x l(-1) (F); these values being significantly higher than those obtained after the WIN (p < 0.05). In conclusion, Italian Olympic judokas showed high levels of muscle power but accompanied by a moderate engagement of the aerobic metabolic pathway, which is well in accordance with the characteristics of judo. Having these results in top-level athletes may represent a useful contribution to the work of coaches and trainers in optimizing training programs for the achievement of the best performance of the judoka.

The Effects of Ten Weekly Plyometric Training of Judokas on Anaerobic Power

“…2005). Sbriccoli et al, (2007) were identified that the muscle power was at a high level and the aerobic capacities were quite good on the Italian olympic judokas. (Sbriccoli et al, 2007).…”

Comparison of Two Anaerobic Water Polo-Specific Tests With the Wingate Test

“…An established measure of anaerobic power is the Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT; 7, 13) and despite some limitations (8), it is widely used for athletic populations (25,27). WAnT presents additional appeals to the assessment of water polo players.…”

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“…Differentiation of functional fitness estimates of highly skilled combat athletes of different weight categories on the basis of developed model characteristics allows more accurate characterization of their physical state and functional reserves, manifested in the responses to physical load at various stages of annual preparation cycle in different ways. Besides, it also permits to concretize physical state monitoring and management of lightweights and heavyweights fitness according to the major indices of cardiac activity, gas analysis and special work capacity, which is absolutely new as compared to the findings of other researchers (Pankov, 2002;Pilianidis et al, 2011;Sbricolli et al, 2007).…”

“…Employment of the methods of complex and systemic analysis, multivariate statistics has allowed to develop adequate mathematical models and to use them for modelling physical state of wrestlers and elaborating differentiated system of estimates of the level of FF and special work capacity according to various key informative and integral indices. It has become an absolutely new approach in the system of biological monitoring of physical state of wrestlers, which is absent in similar studies of other researchers (Iushkov, 2002;Pankov, 2002;Erkan, 2011;Pilianidis et al, 2011;Sbricolli, Bazzucchi, Mario, Marzattinocci, & Felici, 2007). Differentiation of functional fitness estimates of highly skilled combat athletes of different weight categories on the basis of developed model characteristics allows more accurate characterization of their physical state and functional reserves, manifested in the responses to physical load at various stages of annual preparation cycle in different ways.…”