Physiological responses during and following karate training in women

The purpose of this study was to examine whether each exercise and an entire karate training session can achieve: 1). accepted training intensity thresholds for effective aerobic capacity training; 2). energy expenditure (EE) thresholds for total body mass and fat weight loss; and, 3). elevation in excess postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC).

We investigated physiological responses during 5 types of karate training in female karate practitioners: basic techniques without (S-Basics) and with (M-Basics) movements, sparring techniques without (TECH I) and with (TECH II) an opponent, and kata.

The mean percent of maximum oxygen uptake reserve (%VO2R), percent of maximum heart rate (%HRmax), and maximum heart rate reserve (%HRR) for S-Basics were below the accepted threshold and for M-Basics were marginal or above the threshold for increasing VO2max. For TECH I, TECH II, kata, and the entire 70-min practice, the mean %HRmax and %HRR were well above the threshold, however, %VO2R was below the threshold. Although the mean EPOC measured for 5 min immediately following the entire 70-min karate training did not differ from resting VO2. The blood lactate responses to the 5 types of karate exercises ranged from 1.2+/-0.3 to 2.2+/-0.8 mmol L(-1). The mean EE for each karate exercise ranged from 157+/-10 kJ to 314+/-16 kJ. The mean EE for the entire 70 min practice and EPOC were 1120+/-64 kJ and 28+/-2 kJ, respectively.

The training intensities of karate exercises studied in women were light to moderate, effects of karate training on EPOC was minimal, and the mean EE was marginal to the accepted threshold for total body mass and fat weight loss.