The effects of training type and area size variations on the physiological and session rating of perceived exertion responses during male judo matches

Nizar Houcine; Ibrahim Ouergui; Anissa Bouassida; Emerson Franchini; Ezdine Bouhlel

doi:10.5114/biolsport.2024.127381

The effects of training type and area size variations on the physiological and session rating of perceived exertion responses during male judo matches

Biol Sport. 2024 Jan;41(1):53-59. doi: 10.5114/biolsport.2024.127381. Epub 2023 May 25.

Authors

Nizar Houcine^{1

2}, Ibrahim Ouergui^{2

3}, Anissa Bouassida^{2

3}, Emerson Franchini⁴, Ezdine Bouhlel⁵

Affiliations

¹ High Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar Said, University of Manouba, Tunisia.
² Research Unit: Sport Sciences, Health and Movement, UR22JS01, University of Jendouba, Kef 7100, Tunisia.
³ High Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Kef, University of Jendouba, Kef 7100, Tunisia.
⁴ Martial Arts and Combat Sports Research Group, School of Physical Education and Sport, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
⁵ Laboratoire de Physiologie de l'exercice et Physiopathologie, de L'intégré au Moléculaire "Biologie, Médecine, Santé", UR12ES06, Faculty of Medicine Ibn El Jazzar, University of Sousse, Sousse 4000, Tunisia.

Abstract

Modified exercise prescription in judo is commonly used to activate the energy systems in different magnitudes. In order to study the physiological and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) responses according to area sizes (i.e., 4 m × 4 m, 6 m × 6 m and 8 m × 8 m) and training mode variations (i.e., groundwork, ne-waza; standing combat only, tachi-waza; and free combat, free randori), eighteen male judo athletes (age: 22.6 ± 1.8 years) were randomly assigned, on separate days, to 9 experimental conditions (3 area sizes × 3 training modes) with each condition lasting 4 min. Delta lactate [La] was calculated based on the blood lactate values measured before and after every condition. Heart rate (HR) was measured during and after each bout and RPE recorded at the end of each combat. The results showed that mean and peak HR, percentage of maximum HR (% HR_max), delta [La] values and RPE scores were lower in 4 m × 4 m compared to 6 m × 6 m and 8 m × 8 m, and in groundwork training mode compared to standing combat and free randori (all p < 0.001). Furthermore, the 6 m × 6 m condition induced lower delta [La] values than 8 m × 8 m (p < 0.001) and free randori resulted in higher RPE scores than standing combat (p = 0.001). In conclusion, different training variables can be easily manipulated in a variety of different ways to specifically activate the energetic systems. Focusing on groundwork, the 6 m × 6 m area size was found to be the most suitable condition to induce a higher cardiovascular response, while the standing combat and free randori in 6 m × 6 m resulted in increased glycolytic activation compared to the groundwork condition.

Keywords: Combat sports; Martial arts; Physiology; Specific training.