Participation in the International Judo Federation World Tour competitions and performance in Tokyo Olympic Games.

Introduction: The International Judo Federation introduced a ranking system in 2009 that determines top athletes for the Olympic Games and seeds them in competitions. Previous research indicated that this ranking list and past performances predicted 19%-27% of performance in the Olympic Games and World Championships. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the relationship between Judo World Tour competitions and Olympic Games performance may have been affected. This study aimed to examine the relationship between athletes' performance in Judo World Tour competitions and their competitive performance at the Olympic Games. Methods: Data from 393 athletes who participated in the Tokyo Olympics were analyzed considering both long and short-term performance measures. Pearson correlation was used to determine the relationship between variables and multiple linear regressions were used to predict performance for each sex and the entire sample. Results: The results revealed a range of magnitudes in the correlation between variables, varying from small to large. In terms of regression analyses, it was observed that, for females, the percentage of matches won during the classification period and competition in the year prior to the Olympic Games predicted 37% of their performance. For males, the percentage of matches won during the classification period and competition in the six months before the Olympic Games predicted 36% of their performance. Discussion: Thus, athletes' quality and reduced exposure to competition near the Olympic Games appear to be important factors in their performance at the event.

More time for judo matches? Analysis of type of techniques, time, scores, and penalties in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

This study aimed to analyze the distribution of judo matches in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, considering matches in the regular duration (≤4 min) and during the extra time (the golden score) according to sex, scores, penalties, phases of competition, weight categories, and judo techniques. The data were extracted from the Official Results Books of the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020. The combats were divided in matches that were finished in the regular duration and that were finished by the golden score, with a total of 450 matches. The Chi-square test was used to identify the association between all variables and different groups of matches duration, with the level at p < 0.05. The main results demonstrated significant association, considering sex and frequency of matches in the regular time (χ2 = 6.59; p = 0.010) for female athletes. The majority of matches ended in the 3-4 min (χ2 = 204.16; p < 0.001), scores were mostly awarded in the regular time and penalties in the golden score (χ2 = 48.72; p < 0.001), and few matches ended by the golden score for heavyweight athletes (χ2 = 15.16; p = 0.019). Therefore, a high number of matches ended in the golden score in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, with a high number of penalties in this competition.

Energy System Contributions in Upper and Lower Body Wingate Tests in Highly Trained Athletes.

PURPOSE: This study compared the energy system contributions and relationship between mechanical and energy system variables in upper and lower body Wingate tests (WAnT) in judo athletes. METHOD: Eleven male judo athletes (18 ± 1 years, 174.3 ± 5.3 cm, 72.6 ± 9.9 kg, 11.8 ± 1.7% body fat) attended two laboratory sessions to perform two WAnT (upper and lower body) and two incremental tests (upper and lower body). The energy contributions of the oxidative, glycolytic, and phosphagen (ATP-PCr) systems were estimated based on oxygen consumption ( V˙O2 ) during WAnT, delta of lactate, and the fast phase of excess V˙O2 , respectively. RESULTS: The upper and lower body presented similar results of oxidative (21 ± 4% vs 23 ± 3%) and ATP-PCr system contributions (29 ± 6% vs 32 ± 5%). The glycolytic system contribution (50 ± 5% vs 45 ± 4%) was higher in the upper body. The variance of mechanical variables in upper body was explained by glycolytic (R2 = 0.49-0.62) and oxidative systems (R2 = 0.44-0.49), whereas the variance of mechanical variables in lower body was explained by ATP-PCr (R2 = 0.41-0.55) and glycolytic systems (R2 = 0.62-0.94). CONCLUSIONS: During WAnT, the glycolytic system presented the major energy contribution, being higher in the upper body. Moreover, mechanical and energy system variables presented a distinct relationship when comparing upper and lower body WAnT.

Monitoring internal training load and salivary immune-endocrine responses during an annual judo training periodization.

The objective of this study was to examine the internal training load (TL), IgA, and salivary steroid hormone responses in elite youth judo athletes during an entire annual training periodization. Ten male judo athletes (18±2 years, 72.3±12.3 kg, and 175±6 cm) competing at a state/national level were examined for the TL and salivary imune-endocrine responses variations over an annual judo season, divided in three macrocyles composed by distinct periods denominated preparatory period (PP), competitive period (CP) and transition period (TP). At the end of PP and CP, saliva samples were collected to determine cortisol, testosterone and IgA concentrations. Throughout PP and CP the session-rating of perceived exertion and the total duration of each session were monitored, allowing the internal TL and weekly training strain (TS) calculation. During all macrocycles, significant decreases in TL and TS were observed during CP compared with PP (P<0.05), although no significant differences were observed for immune-endocrine concentrations between PP and CP (P>0.05). Specific variations were observed comparing periods with similar characteristics throughout the macrocycles as higher TL and TS (PP1 to PP2 and PP3, P<0.05), increased testosterone (CP1 to CP3, P=0.024) and decreased testosterone-cortisol ratio (PP1 to PP2, P=0.005). The present findings suggest that the internal TL variations over an annual multipeak traditional periodization did not influence the resting mucosal immune-endocrinal responses in young judo athletes.

Energy-System Contributions to Simulated Judo Matches.

PURPOSE: To estimate the contribution of the 3 energy systems to simulated judo matches. METHODS: Twelve judo athletes (18 ± 1 y, 175.1 ± 5.3 cm, 74.3 ± 10.5 kg, 11.7% ± 1.5% body fat, 8 ± 2 y of practice) performed 5 combats with different durations (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 min), against the same opponent, on different days and blinded to the duration. The estimated energy contributions for the oxidative, glycolytic, and ATP-PCr systems were calculated based on oxygen uptake (V̇O2) during activity, Delta of lactate, and the fast phase of excess V ̇ O2, respectively. Analysis of mixed models for repeated measures was used to compare the contribution of the 3 energy systems and different durations of judo matches, followed by a post hoc Bonferroni test. RESULTS: The oxidative system's contribution (70%) was higher than those of the glycolytic (8%; P < .001) and ATP-PCr (21%; P < .001) energy systems (in all durations), and the ATP-PCr contribution was higher than that of the glycolytic energy system (up to 3 min). In addition, during the match there was an increase in the oxidative (from 50% to 81%; P < .001), a decrease in the ATP-PCr (from 40% to 12%; P < .001), and maintenance of the glycolytic contributions (between 6% and 10%). CONCLUSIONS: There is a predominance of the oxidative system to supply the energy cost of judo matches from the first minute of combat up to the end, compared with the anaerobic systems.

Perceived training intensity and performance changes quantification in judo.

The objective of this study was to determine the methods of quantification for training and performance, which would be the most appropriate for modeling the responses to long-term training in cadet and junior judo athletes. For this, 10 young male judo athletes (15.9 ± 1.3 years, 64.9 ± 10.3 kg, and 170.8 ± 5.4 cm) competing at a regional/state level volunteered to take part in this study. Data were collected during a 2-year training period (i.e., 702 days) from January 2011 to December 2012. Their mean training volume was 6.52 ± 0.43 hours per week during the preparatory periods and 4.75 ± 0.49 hours per week during the competitive periods. They followed a training program prescribed by the same coach. The training load (TL) was quantified through the session rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and expressed in arbitrary unit (a.u.). Performance was quantified from 5 parameters and divided into 2 categories: performance in competition and performance in training. The evaluation of performance in competition was based on the number of points per level. Performance in training was assessed through 4 different tests. A physical test battery consisting of a standing long jump, 2 judo-specific tests that were the maximal number of dynamic chin-up holding the judogi, and the Special Judo Fitness Test was used. System modeling for describing training adaptations consisted of mathematically relating the TL of the training sessions (system input) to the change in performance (system output). The quality of the fit between TL and performance was similar, whether the TL was computed directly from RPE (R = 0.55 ± 0.18) or from the session RPE (R = 0.56 ± 0.18) and was significant in 8 athletes over 10, excluding the standing jump from the computation of the TL, leading to a simplest method. Thus, this study represents a first attempt to model TL effects on judo-specific performance and has shown that the best relationships between amounts of training and changes in performance were obtained when training amounts were quantified simply from RPE.

Influence of linear and undulating strength periodization on physical fitness, physiological, and performance responses to simulated judo matches.

To determine the most effective strength periodization model is important to improve judo athletes' performance. Thus, the aim of this study was to compare the effects of linear and daily undulating periodized resistance training on anthropometrical, strength, and judo-specific performance. For this, 13 adult male judo athletes (LP = 6 and DUP = 7) completed a 8-week training program concomitantly to a typical judo training program. Athletes were submitted to a physical fitness test battery, before and after 8 weeks of training, consisting of: (a) maximal strength evaluation: bench press, squat, and row exercises 1 repetition maximum (1RM) tests, and handgrip maximal isometric strength; (b) power evaluation: standing long jump test; (c) strength endurance evaluation: dynamic and isometric chin-up tests gripping the judogi; (d) anthropometry measurements: body mass, height, skinfold thickness and circumferences; (e) judo-specific fitness: performance during the Special Judo Fitness Test (SJFT); (f) match simulation: three 5-minute judo match simulations separated by 15-minute passive recovery. Eight weeks of linear and undulating strength training protocols induced similar significant (P ≤ 0.05) decreases in skinfold thicknesses (-6.5%) and increases in flexed arm (2.0%) and forearm (1.8%) circumferences, maximal isometric handgrip strength (4.6% and 6.1% for right and left hands, respectively), isometric strength endurance chin-up performance gripping the judogi (18.9%), maximal dynamic strength for row (11.5%), bench press (11.6%) and squat exercises (7.1%), total weight lifted at 70% 1RM for bench press (15.1%) and squat (9.6%) exercises, number of throws during sets B (3.1%) and C (9.5%) of the SJFT (resulting in increased total number of throws, 5.5%), and decreased index in this test, -4.2%). However, no changes were observed in the physiological, rating of perceived exertion, or technical actions during 3 match simulations. Thus, it seems that the short-term adaptations were not transferable to the match condition.