Martial Arts Training Increases Physical Fitness in Athletes

Florina OLARU, doctorand UESFS, Chișinău, Republica Moldova

e-mail: florinaolaru1@gmail.com

Bogdan TODIRIȚĂ, doctorand UESFS, Chișinău, Republica Moldova

e-mail: bogdantodirita@gmail.com

Abstract

This study aims at establishing the efficacy of an eight-month martial arts program in building physical fitness in
athletes. One group of athletes were firstly assigned to martial arts training program and the control group to
traditional fitness exercises. The physical measurements both in cardiovascular fitness and muscle fitness after 8
months of training improved significantly. Twenty-five subjects were recruited. At follow-up, the cohort improved
in absolute upper (P = .002) and lower (P = .04) body strength, and upper body muscle endurance (P = .02), without
group differences. Martial Arts training resulted in significantly improvements in submaximal cardiovascular fitness
(P = .03), lower body muscle endurance (P = .28; significant 95% CI: 0.37–2.49), and upper body muscle velocity
(P = .03) relative to traditional fitness exercises training. This Chinese martial arts program improved submaximal
cardiovascular fitness, lower body muscle endurance, submaximal cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle velocity, in
athletes with very low baseline fitness.

Key words

Martial arts, physical fitness, cardiovascular fitness, muscle endurance, muscle velocity