Association between neuromuscular tests and kumite performance on the Brazilian Karate National Team

The aim of this study was to verify the relationship of strength and power with performance on an international level karate team during official kumite simulations. Fourteen male black belt karate athletes were submitted to anthropometric data collection and then performed the following tests on two different days: vertical jump test, bench press and squat maximum dynamic strength (1RM) tests. We also tested power production for both exercises at 30 and 60% 1RM and performed a kumite match simulation. Blood samples were obtained at rest and immediately after the kumite matches to measure blood lactate concentration. Karate players were separated by performance (winners vs. defeated) on the kumite matches. We found no significant differences between winners and defeated for strength, vertical jump height, anthropometric data and blood lactate concentration. Interestingly, winners were more powerful in the bench press and squat exercises at 30% 1RM. Maximum strength was correlated with absolute (30% 1RM r = 0.92; 60% 1RM r = 0.63) and relative power (30% 1RM r = 0.74; 60% 1RM r = 0.11, p > 0.05) for the bench press exercise. We concluded that international level karate players' kumite match performance are influenced by higher levels of upper and lower limbs power production.

Práticas corporais e grande saúde: um encontro possível

Physical Activity produces health! When admitting the precocious veracity that the affirmation introduces, we reconstruct it in ideological dimension to put again the intentions of the physical activity on the scope of the health. To support this displacement, we search endorsement in the concept of Great Health forged in the philosophy of Nietzsche and of this concept we launch considerations about body practices to argue the care from physiological imperatives, worried about the vital necessities of the body. These possibilities only appear when it gave power to the meeting of the subject with himself and with the other - as operated in the body practices context. It is the quality of this meeting that allows trying the Great Health.