, Volume , Issue 1

Heart rate responses to a kickboxing training session

Abstract

Background & Study Aim: Physical inactivity and sedentary lifestyle have been growing exponentially and forms of physical exercise are needed. Previous research showed that others martial arts make improvement in physical fitness. Kickboxing appears as an alternative of exercise that may lead to increases in fitness, however no studies have described the intensity of a kickboxing training session (TS). Therefore, the aim of this study was the knowledge about the intensity distribution during a kickboxing training sessions.

Material & Methods: Twelve athletes (29.2 ±7.0 years, body mass 92.0 ±13.4 kg and height 182.8 ±6.3 cm) performed one incremental test to exhaustion and one kickboxing TS. Heart rate (HR) was monitored to calculate the intensity distribution of the kickboxing TS according to Edwards (1993) into five different intensities zones.

Results: The TS had duration of approximately 60 min. Participants spent 75% of total TS duration with HR above 90% of HRmax.

Conclusions: It is possible to conclude that a kickboxing TS presents intensity in line with the recommendations by the American College of Sports Medicine for improvements and maintaining of aerobic fitness. Therefore, there are empirical grounds to recommend kickboxing in the form of recreational training as an attractive method of stimulating physical fitness and at the same time strengthening personal security.