Judo is characterized by high-intensity intermittent efforts, resulting in high physiological demand. 1 Judo athletes typically take part in seven to eight competitions, either regionally or internationally. 2 Thus, the training periodization is important to provide judo athletes a better chance to qualify in these tournaments. 3–5

Previous investigations have indicated that judo athletes with higher upper-body anaerobic power and capacity, specific endurance, and lower-body muscle power present more chance of success. 1,6–8 When considering a typical judo match, most of the time is spent in grip disputes (kumi-kata), requiring high level of upper-body strength endurance, while powerful upper and lower-body actions are needed during technique application. 8–12 Furthermore, several authors 13–15 have indicated that the aerobic profile of judo athletes may be important during several situations: (a) in the final moments of a combat; (b) when a high number of matches are performed in the same competition; and (c) during the recovery process between the matches. Therefore, variables related to upper-body anaerobic power and capacity, strength endurance, lower-body muscle power, and aerobic fitness should be specifically addressed during the training process. Additionally, as judo requires athletes to compete in different weight categories, these variables should be improved without relevant changes in body mass. 16–18 However, few studies presented the physiological changes in judo athletes during periodization or training phases, and most of these studies considered short periods, i.e., three to eight weeks. 3–5,19–23 Thus, the objective of the present study was to monitor the changes in different variables during judo training periodization. Our hypothesis was that athletes would present an increase in upper-body anaerobic power and capacity, lower-body muscle power, upper-body aerobic power, and strength endurance, while maintaining lower-body aerobic power and body composition.

All athletes completed the training periodization as proposed. From the ending of one season to the first peak of the other season, athletes presented an increase (P < 0.05; d = 0.12, trivial) in body mass (pre = 82.6 ± 17.6 kg; post = 84.8 ± 18.0 kg), but no change in body fat composition (pre = 16.0 ± 4.3%; post = 16.9 ± 4.5%).

There was an improvement (P < 0.05) in row 1RM (d = 0.29, small), isometric chin up (d = 0.75, moderate) and in dynamic judogi chin up (d = 0.80, moderate) during the training cycle (Table 1).

There was no significant difference in the CMJ comparing pre (35.4 ± 4.2 cm) and post (34.8 ± 4.1 cm) measurements.

While lower-body maximal mechanical aerobic power decreased (pre = 235 ± 62 W; post = 209 ± 43 W; P < 0.05; d = 0.50, moderate), maximal upper-body mechanical aerobic power increased (pre = 113 ± 25 W; post = 122 ± 29 W; P < 0.05; d = 0.33, small) during the training cycle.

For lower-body Wingate test, only peak power increased (pre = 778 ± 77 W; post = 882 ± 130 W; P < 0.05; d = 0.75, moderate) during the training cycle, but for upper-body Wingate test both peak (pre = 535 ± 74 W; post = 617 ± 81 W; P < 0.05; d = 0.85, moderate) and mean power (pre = 344 ± 29 W; post = 402 ± 38 W; P < 0.05; d = 1.43, large) increased during the training cycle.

No difference was found in any variable of the SJFT (Table 2).

Our initial hypothesis was confirmed concerning improvements in upper-body anaerobic power and capacity (mean and peak power increase), lower-body muscle power (peak power increase) and strength endurance (isometric and dynamic grip strength endurance improvements) and body composition maintenance, but it was not confirmed concerning lower-body mechanical aerobic power maintenance.

Concerning strength variables, the adaptation seems to be specific to the judo actions, as only row 1RM increased and it is known that judo involves many pulling actions during the combat. 1 Additionally, both isometric and dynamic strength endurance were improved by these athletes in a task involving the grip on the judogi, but not in non-specific strength endurance exercises (bench press and row repetitions at 70% 1RM). Recently, Marcon et al. 11 and Miarka et al. 12 reported that approximately half of the combat time is spent in gripping fighting activities and Calmet et al. 9 demonstrated that the grip fighting is one of the most important factors during judo matches, as the grip dominance is essential to increase the opportunities of throwing techniques execution. Thus, the specificity of adaptations was confirmed, especially because the effect size for strength endurance adaptations in these exercises were higher than for maximal strength in the only exercise involving pulling action. Additionally, an increase in the upper-body Wingate test mean power was also detected in this study. As mean power has been associated to the anaerobic capacity and the repetition of high-intensity grip disputes may be supported by this physical capacity, the improvement in mean power seems to be important to judo athletes performance enhancement, 1 and this was one of the few variables with large effect size, confirming the adaptation specificity.

As the match duration increases, it is supposed to increase the aerobic contribution needed to sustain the efforts made by the athletes. 15,37,38 Considering that the upper-body has a higher solicitation during the match due to the time spent in the grip dispute, 11,12 the improvement observed in upper-body aerobic power is important to provide athletes the condition to perform these repetitive muscle actions needed during the match and across the matches in a given competition. 3,14,15

Judo athletes’ lower-body performs powerful and short actions during the execution of the throwing techniques, 39 but no change was observed in the CMJ. Callister et al. 40 did not find any difference in the CMJ performance in judo athletes submitted to intensified training to generate overreaching and suggested that maybe the CMJ performance is not sensitive enough to changes in judo athletes lower-body muscle power. Busko and Nowak 20 also reported no change in the CMJ performance across different phases of training periodization in Polish national level athletes. Conversely, Fukuda et al. 4 observed improved jump performance in adolescent judo athletes preparing for competition. It is also important to consider that the judo techniques have longer duration (1.14 s to 1.4–1.7 s) 11,39 than the CMJ. Lower-body Wingate test peak power increased after this training period, which would help judo athletes to perform their high-intensity lower-body actions needed in technique application. 41 Kim et al. 22 found a significant higher lower-body Wingate test peak power in high-level judo athletes compared to university level athletes, suggesting that higher peak power values are relevant to judo performance. Furthermore, Kim et al. 42 also reported improvement in lower-body Wingate test peak power in athletes submitted to 8 weeks of judo training and high-intensity intermittent exercise.

In the interval among throwing technique execution (approximately 20 s) 11,12 the judo athlete lower-body is involved in low to moderate intensity displacements, which do not impose a high metabolic stress compared to that imposed to the upper-body. 1 Thus, it is probable that the decrease in lower-body aerobic power observed in our athletes does not seem to result in a concomitant decrease in performance during the matches.

Furthermore, for judo throwing techniques execution it is also necessary a powerful pulling or pushing action performed by the upper-body during the imbalance phase (kuzushi) 43 and the improvement (moderate effect size) in the upper-body Wingate test peak power is an important adaptation to achieve this action successfully.

Although the athletes presented an increase in body mass, no change was observed in body composition, probably because the absolute increase in fat tissue was countered by the increase in muscle mass.

Surprisingly, no difference was found in the SJFT performance. Although the athletes improved the lower-body Wingate peak power (associated to the anaerobic power) and upper-body Wingate mean power (associated to the anaerobic capacity), the metabolic profile of the SJFT has an important aerobic contribution (32.9 ± 3.3%) 44 and the lower-body aerobic power has been positively associated (r = 0.73) to the SJFT index 45 and correlated (r = 0.79) to the number of throws in the SJFT. 46 Thus, the combination of anaerobic profile improvement and lower-body aerobic power decrement for this group may have interacted and the performance in the SJFT did not change during this period. An improvement in the number of throws during the SJFT would be important for the judo athletes because this variable has been correlated to the number of attacks during the match (r = 0.68). 47 In fact, in a shorter training period (i.e., six weeks), increase in the number of throws in the SJFT was observed. 23

Two main limitations can be identified in our study: the absence of a control group submitted to a non-periodized judo training and the lack of control concerning athletes’ nutritional intake. The use of control group in periodization studies is difficult, because athletes are normally submitted to some type of periodization process. Additionally, some authors consider that there would be “ethical problems with restricting a particular treatment to elite athletes” (p. 814). 48 Although diet was not controlled in this study, athletes were not using any supplementation and were oriented to keep their normal nutritional habits throughout the study.

In conclusion, the results of the present study indicated that the changes during a periodized judo program were specific to the match demand, although not all variables improved across this period. Body mass increased, but body composition did not change. Variables important to sustain high-intensity actions across the match (upper-body peak and mean power, isometric and dynamic grip strength endurance) increased. Additionally, row 1RM and lower-body peak power, which are relevant to power actions during throwing technique application, increased. Additionally, upper-body mechanical aerobic power, which maybe connected to endurance during the match and to recovery process of this muscle group between successive matches, also increased.

The authors declare they have no conflict of interest.