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Journal of Exercise Physiologyonline
(JEPonline)
Volume 10 Number 4 August 2007
Managing Editor
Fitness and Training
Tommy Boone, Ph.D.
Editor-in-Chief
Jon Linderman, Ph.D.
Review Board
Todd Astorino, Ph.D.
Julien Baker, Ph.D.
Tommy Boone, Ph.D.
Lance Dalleck, Ph.D.
Dan Drury, DPE.
Hermann Engels, Ph.D.
Eric Goulet, Ph.D.
Robert Gotshall, Ph.D.
Len Kravitz, Ph.D.
James Laskin, Ph.D.
Jon Linderman, Ph.D.
M. Knight-Maloney, Ph.D.
Derek Marks, Ph.D.
Cristine Mermier, Ph.D.
Daryl Parker, Ph.D.
Robert Robergs, Ph.D.
Brent Ruby, Ph.D.
Jason Siegler, Ph.D.
Greg Tardie, Ph.D.
Lesley White, Ph.D.
Chantal Vella, Ph.D.
Thomas Walker, Ph.D.
Ben Zhou, Ph.D.
Official Research Journal of
The American Society of
Exercise Physiologists
(ASEP)
ISSN 1097-9751
Cardiovascular Responses During Karate Exercise Regimen
and Treadmill Exercise at Approximately 70% HR Intensity.
GREEN T. WAGGENER1, TOMMY BOONE2, MARK KASPER 3,
ANNA T. WAGGENER4
1Valdosta State University/Human Performance Lab, Dept. of
Kinesiology and Physical Education/Valdosta, GA, USA
2The College of St. Scholastica/Exercise Physiology Lab, Dept. of
Exercise Physiology/Duluth, MN, USA
3Valdosta State University/Human Performance Lab, Dept. of
Kinesiology and Physical Education/Valdosta, GA, USA
4U.S. Army War College, Carlisle, PA, USA
ABSTRACT
Waggener GT, Boone T, Kasper M, Waggener AT. Cardiovascular
Responses During A Karate Exercise Regimen and Treadmill Exercise
at Approximately 70% HR Intensity. JEPonline 2007;10(4):29-34. The
purpose of this study was to determine if a martial arts training technique
results in cardiovascular responses similar to walking at approximately
70% of heart-rate intensity on a treadmill. Ten adult subjects (6 males
and 4 females; mean age and body weight are 21.8 yr and 68.3 kg)
volunteered to participate.
Cardiac output (Q) and related
measurements were analyzed to determine the effect of a punch-kick
technique on the central (heart rate, HR; stroke volume, SV) and
peripheral (arteriovenous oxygen difference, a-vO2 diff) components of
VO2, using a CO2 rebreathing technique and the Beckman Metabolic
Cart, respectively. The results were analyzed using a t-test for
dependent measures. There were no significant (p>0.05) differences in
VO2, Q, HR, and SV between the two exercise sessions. The results
showed that a-vO2 diff was significantly higher during the treadmill
exercise, although the slightly higher response has no practical value.
These findings indicate that both types of exercise produce similar
cardiovascular responses and, therefore, provide some support for
martial arts being an effective stimulus for cardiovascular conditioning.
Key Words: Cardiac Output, Oxygen Uptake, Heart Rate, Stroke
Volume, a-vO2 Difference, CO2 Rebreathing, Karate.
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INTRODUCTION
Training in the martial art of karate as an exercise modality is believed by the participants to produce
increases in power and agility. There are also other benefits. For example, martial artists practice to
achieve positive changes in body composition, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility.
Whether martial arts training results in significant cardiovascular benefits remains an unanswered
question, particularly in regards to VO2 max (1). This is partly because it takes considerable time
engaged in aerobic activities to develop cardiovascular endurance (2). Perhaps, the primary
distinction between running and martial arts is the specificity of training. For example, running for 30
minutes develops cardiovascular endurance (3, 4). Martial arts practice, however, is primarily
characterized by short bursts of maximal effort followed by brief rest periods (5). While this type of
training is certainly rigorous and results in extremely high heart rates for brief periods of time, it may
not stimulate the cardiovascular system in the same way as endurance training.
Shaw and Deutsch (6) determined the VO2 of 15 karate kata (i.e., choreographed patterns of dynamic
movements using the arms and legs) performed continuously at speeds of 30 seconds per kata and
then 45 seconds per kata. Then, fifteen Heian Shodan kata (i.e., 21 moves, the first kata of a series
of five and the most familiar to all who practice this form of karate) were performed again at 30
seconds per kata and 45 seconds per kata, but a minute rest was taken between the performance of
each kata. In all, 60 kata were performed. The authors reported significant differences between the
continuous and intermittent kata and between the faster and slower kata with the continuous and
faster kata eliciting higher VO2 values, and concluded that only the fast, continuous kata performance
achieved a heart rate response sufficient to elicit a cardiovascular training effect. The authors
speculated that the use of a smaller muscle mass of the upper limbs versus the larger muscle mass
of the lower limbs might be responsible for the heart rate response (i.e., the pressor response).
Glassi, Reeg, and Bierma (3) measured VO2 max and the caloric cost of martial arts training drills in
nine men and nine women. The drills consisted of front kicks, butterfly stretch, forearm strikes, situps, side-kicks, quadriceps stretch, and push-ups. The VO2 max values ranged from 18.2 ml/kg/min
to 30.6 ml/kg/min. The former value would be very low for a college-aged, sedentary adult, while the
higher value would represent a moderate intensity level for the same person. Pieter (4) cited a broad
range of VO2 max values with the higher values reported in the Japanese and Korean styles (55 to 57
ml/kg/min) and the lower values in the Chinese styles (43 to 44 ml/kg/min). For comparison, Lance
Armstrong’s VO2 max is reported to have been close to 85 ml/kg/min after his fifth Tour de France
victory while college-aged endurance athletes have VO2 max values in the range of 55 to 65
ml/kg/min (2).
Thompson and Vineuza (7) investigated the fitness levels of 14 male Taekwondo black belts. They
reported values slightly lower than the elite American Taekwondo athletes studied by Pieter (4), 44
ml/kg/min versus 55 ml/kg/min, respectively. Thompson and Vineuza used the treadmill to measure
VO2 max. Based on the specificity of training principle (8), it seems logical to propose that the best
measure of VO2 max in Taekwondo would be to test the actual Taekwondo exercises.
Because the VO2 findings during martial arts are not conclusive enough to guide exercise
physiologists to improve the health of their clients, and because there is the need to address the
central (heart) and peripheral (skeletal muscles) components of the change in VO2, the purpose of
this study was to determine the cardiac output (Q) and VO2 during a karate exercise. The three
variables that the karate technique might influence are VO2 and Q [i.e., the product of heart rate (HR)
and stroke volume (SV)] and the difference in the oxygen content of arterial and mixed venous blood
(a-vO2 diff). A change in any of these variables during karate exercise at approximately 70% HR
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intensity will help to clarify whether martial arts exercise produces similar cardiovascular benefits as
treadmill exercise at the same HR intensity.
METHODS
Subjects
Ten subjects (6 males and 4 females; mean age of 21.8 years; see Table 1) from a university karate
club volunteered to participate in this study. All subjects were members of the club for least six
months. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board, and all participants provided
signed consent prior to data collection.
Procedures
The karate training technique used in this study was a stationary punch/kick, punch/kick routine.
Specifically, the punch/kick exercise required the subject to: (a) stand in a forward position in reversepunch form (similar to a lunge-position, left foot forward with right hand punch, left fist at the hip); (b)
then, front kicking with the rear leg while punching with the opposite arm; and (c) then, punching
again with the kicking-side arm as the leg returns to the starting position. The supporting (front) foot
does not move but the arms punch twice and the rear leg kicks once. This technique was chosen
because the data collection method required to determine cardiac output and stroke volume required
maximal dynamic movement with the muscles of the upper and lower body and, like a treadmill test,
required close proximity to the metabolic measurement system.
The test protocol and data collection procedures were explained to the subject. All testing was done
in the laboratory. Dressed in karate-gi (uniform), the subject was connected to the Beckman
Metabolic Measurement Cart (MMC). The subject performed a warm-up that consisted of
calisthenics and relaxed punching and front-kicking (without tension) for five minutes, which was then
followed by the stationary punch/kick, punch/kick routine. Then, the subject rested until the HR
recovered to a resting value. Still connected to the MMC, the subject walked for five minutes on a
Quinton 3000 treadmill as a warm-up exercise. The treadmill speed was increased to the point of
approximating the subject’s karate exercise HR. Then, the subject exercised for five minutes at 70%
HR intensity. Note that the “treadmill exercise” was defined as a moderate “walking” pace that would
produce a ratio of the work metabolic rate to the resting metabolic rate (i.e., metabolic equivalent,
MET) in the range of 3.5 to 4.5 METs.
Oxygen consumption (VO2) was averaged across the four minutes of each exercise period at 70%
HR intensity (1). The Beckman MMC was calibrated with known concentrations of CO2 and O2 prior
to each period of data collection. Heart rate was determined by electrocardiogram during each
minute of the five minutes of both exercise periods, using a Physio-Control Lifepak 7 (Medtronic, Inc.,
Minneapolis, MN). Cardiac output was determined during the fifth minute of each exercise period
using the CO2 rebreathing (equilibrium) method (9). During the CO2 rebreathing procedure, the
Beckman MMC was programmed to estimate arterial CO2 from the end-tidal PCO2. Using the
method, referred to as the “indirect Fick” method, mixed venous PCO2 was estimated from the
rebreathing procedure as described by Collier (9), Jones, Campbell, and McHardy, Higgs, and Clode
(10), Jones, Campbell, Edwards, Robertson (11), and Jones, Campbell, Edwards, and Willkoff (12).
During the last minute of both exercise periods, the subject’s non-rebreathing valve was closed and
the subject was connected to a rubber bag filled with 11.75% CO 2 in an oxygen mix. The subject
continued to exercise as the Beckman MMC graphically displays the CO2 signal generated from the
rebreathing procedure until a satisfactory PCO2 equilibrium was achieved (13).
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Statistical Analyses
The data were analyzed using a t-test for dependent measures. An alpha level of p<0.05 was
considered necessary for statistical significance. Means and standard deviations can be located in
Table 1. Statistical analysis indicated no significant (p>0.05) differences in VO 2, Q, HR, and SV. The
treadmill exercise did result in a significantly higher (p = 0.03) a-vO2 diff than the karate exercise.
Table 1. Cardiovascular responses during a karate exercise technique and treadmill exercise at approximately
70% of the subject’s HR intensity (M ± SD); t-tests for dependent measures, p<0.05.
Variable
Punch / Kick
Walk / Run
p
Age
22  3
Weight (kg)
68  10
VO2 (L/min
p=.12
.87  .28
1.0  .29
Cardiac Output (L/min)
p=.44
8.9  2.2
8.7  1.8
Stroke Volume (ml)
p=.40
64  17
65  19
a-vO2 diff (mL/dL)
p=.03
9.6  1.2
11.5  2.3
Heart Rate (bpm)
p=.07
144  16
139  16
RESULTS
The karate exercise technique and the treadmill exercise resulted in similar cardiovascular
responses. There were no differences in the subjects’ central response (Q) to the need for oxygen
(VO2) during the two exercise conditions. Heart rate and SV were not significantly different.
However, there was a significant increase in tissue extraction (a-vO2 diff) during the treadmill exercise
versus the karate exercise technique (11.5 vs. 9.6 mL/dL).
DISCUSSION
The results of the present study are the first to show that the cardiovascular responses during a
stationary punch/kick, punch/kick karate exercise regimen at approximately 70% of maximum HR
intensity resulted in similar Q and VO2 responses to a treadmill exercise at the same HR intensity. In
fact, in addition to martial arts improving balance, coordination, and muscular endurance (3), when
both variables are reproducible (as was the case in this study), the conclusion is that the karate
exercise regimen may be as beneficial to the subjects’ cardiovascular health and well-being as
treadmill exercise. Understandably, this form of exercise is a discontinuous type of exercise, but,
when regulated by HR intensity, the simulated martial arts exercise regimen can produce the
equivalent cardiovascular response to treadmill exercise.
By rearrangement of the Fick equation (VO2 = HR x SV x a-vO2 diff), VO2 is recognized as the
product of HR, SV, and a-vO2 diff. Since the subjects’ exercise SV response was essentially 64 mL
one could conclude that the central response (Q) was dependent primarily on exercise HR (which
was essentially 140 bpm for both exercise conditions). Interestingly, the SV response might not only
be considered low but did not increase with exercise, given that resting SV is usually reported to be
around 70 mL. However, the low body weight (BW) of the subjects was very likely responsible for the
less than typical exercise SV values. For example, at a BW of 68 kg (150 lb), one might expect at
rest a SV around 50 mL, a HR of approximately 70 bpm and, thus a Q of 3.5 L/min. This thinking is
reasonable, given the lower BW and Q responses of the 4 female subjects versus the 6 male subjects
(mean = 62 kg vs. 72 kg, respectively). This is also in agreement with the published findings of
Kollias and colleagues (14) who studied members of a women’s varsity cross-country team. They
reported that their subjects had a mean BW of 55 kg and a mean resting SV of 54 ml.
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If the karate exercise technique had produced a central response at 70% HR intensity that was
significantly lower than the treadmill exercise response at the same HR intensity, then the conclusion
that would seem warranted is that the karate exercise is not a viable option to train the cardiovascular
system. The fact that no statistically significant difference was found for Q and VO 2 indicates that
there were no physiological differences between the two types of exercise. The karate exercise
regimen resulted in similar kilocalories expended (karate, 4.3 vs. treadmill, 5.1 Kcals/min) and
cardiovascular effect at 70% HR intensity as was found during the treadmill exercise at the same
intensity. Also, when the martial arts class is 60 minutes in duration, the participants would be
expected to expend 86% of the recommended Kcals/session (i.e., 4.3 Kcals/min x 60 = 258
Kcals/session ÷ 300 Kcals/session). This range of total kilocalories expended is often considered an
important healthcare goal (15).
Interestingly, the third component of the Fick equation was significantly different (p = 0.03). The
treadmill exercise test resulted in a higher extraction of oxygen by the peripheral tissues than during
the karate exercise (11.5 vs. 9.6 mL/dL, respectively). Admittedly, it is not a big difference (1.9
mL/dL). Since Q and VO2 responses were not significantly different, it is reasonable to acknowledge
the difference in tissue extraction responses has little practical value. In essence, the O 2 extraction
(i.e., a-vO2 diff) by the muscles during the treadmill exercise represents the non-significant difference
in VO2 during the two types of exercise (VO2 = 1.0 vs .87 L/min, respectively, for the treadmill
exercise and the karate exercise). The results of the present study also support the contention that
peripheral response to karate exercise is indeed similar to treadmill exercise, especially in the range
of 3.7 to 4.2 METs.
CONCLUSIONS
Despite the lack of consensus, the findings of this study are logical. Karate exercises in college-aged
students performed at the same HR intensity as a moderately paced (walking) treadmill exercise
resulted in similar cardiovascular responses. Even though the dynamic actions of the punch-kick
regimen were somewhat dissimilar, the cardiovascular responses at the same exercise heart rate
were comparable. The implication is that, along with the interest in aerobic exercise and fitness,
karate training (and, perhaps, other forms of exercise) should also be emphasized to develop the
other long term healthcare benefits including the intrinsic factors promoting exercise adherence (i.e.,
fun, meeting people, developing positive sporting behaviors, and travel).
There are many recognized benefits of regular exercise. The classic Harvard Alumni Study (16)
observed that alumni who maintained judicious physical activity throughout their lives (and who didn’t
smoke) could expect to live about two extra years compared to other alumni. Other lifelong outcome
measures from participating in martial arts classes should include increased flexibility, increased
muscular strength and endurance, and improved body composition from sustained physical activity
(3). Clearly, the results of the present study support the use of karate exercise in conditioning the
cardiovascular system. Although this finding was somewhat surprising because karate exercises are
always viewed as anaerobic, operating aerobically via a self-regulated HR intensity helps to ensure
the benefits of doing regular exercise.
There were several limitations to the study that may have influenced the outcome. The sample size
(n) should have been greater to be able to extend the results to either gender. Also, the results of the
study are limited to beginning students with minimal experience (6 months to a year). More
experienced karate athletes (2 years or more) might have much different cardiovascular responses
because they are adapted to the interval training where speed, repetition, and time are critical factors
in competition training. For future studies, an extended exercise period of 10 to 15 minutes versus
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the 5 minute protocol in this study may provide a crucial insight into the cardiovascular responses
during different martial arts exercise regimens versus traditionally defined aerobic exercises.
Address for correspondence: Waggener GT, PhD, MPH, Department of Kinesiology and Physical
Education, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, GA, USA, 31698. (229)-249-4921); FAX: (229) 2453836 Email. gtwaggen@valdosta.edu.
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