Criteria for assessing the adaptive changes in mixed martial arts (MMA) athletes of strike fighting style in different training load regimes

Abstract

Background To study the peculiarities of changes in functional indicators and body composition parameters of mixed martial arts (MMA) athletes of strike fighting style and a number of biochemical blood indicators during two months of using different intensity training load regimes, and to determine the most informative criteria for assessing adaptive body changes in these training conditions. Methods We examined 40 MMA athletes (men) aged 20–22, who used mainly strike fighting style in their competitive activity, and divided them into 2 research groups (A and B), 20 athletes in each group. Group A athletes used medium intensity (Ra = 0.64), and group B—high intensity (Ra = 0.72) training load regime. To assess the adaptive body changes we applied methods of control testing of maximum muscle strength growth (1 RM), special training (the number of accurate kicks on the mannequin for 30 s), and bioimpedansometry. By monitoring biochemical parameters (testosterone, cortisol, creatinine, phosphorus, calcium, cholesterol, LDH) in the blood serum of athletes, we determined the peculiarities of adaptive-compensatory body reactions in response to training loads. Results The obtained results of special training increased during the study period by an average of 10.5% in group B athletes, but group A participants’ results had no significant changes compared to basal data. The largest increase in the development of maximum muscle strength growth by an average of 44.4% was recorded after 2 months of research in group B. Group B athletes also had positive changes in body fat and fat-free mass indicators during the study which were two times higher than the results of group A. The laboratory studies and correlation analysis showed informative biochemical markers (cortisol, testosterone and creatinine) for assessing the condition of athletes in both groups before using high and medium training load regimes. The biochemical markers for assessing the adaptive-compensatory reactions of athletes in response to high-intensity physical stimuli at the beginning of the study were indicators of LDH and cholesterol, and in conditions of medium intensity it was LDH, testosterone and cortisol. After 2 months of study the set of biochemical markers assessing the adaptation processes before the load completely changed only in group B athletes and consisted of LDH, phosphorus, cholesterol, and calcium. At the same time, the set of biochemical criteria for assessing adaptive-compensatory reactions after training in group B athletes was completely changed compared with the data recorded at the beginning of the study. Conclusion Defining the optimal set of criteria for assessing the adaptive-compensatory changes in MMA athletes of strike fighting style will allow in the shortest possible time to correct the parameters of the training load regime for accelerating the body functionality in the process of special power training.

The effectiveness of using power fitness training loads to increase adaptive reserves of female athletes in hand-to-hand combat

“…Group A representatives used the training program A, which is standard in power fitness. The main set of tools of this program consists of exercises on simulators in compliance with standard training load parameters [11].…”

“…One of the important factors of improving the training process is a reasonable choice of specialized training programs aimed at increasing the functional reserves of athletes [5,6,7,8], or certain physical qualities [6,9,10,11,12].…”

Increasing the functional capabilities of Mixed Martial Arts athletes in the process of optimizing different regimes of power load

“…Introduction 1 The complexity of the training system optimization in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) lies in finding the most effective and at the same time adequate to the body adaptation reserved options for using different intensity, volume, direction of physical exertion. This is used on the background of a wide range of training exercises taking into account the peculiarities of technical skills and tactical tasks [1,2,3]. Solving the problem of increasing the functional capabilities of athletes, meeting the requirements of competitive activity (especially at the professional level in MMA), is one of the priority tasks for specialists: in physical education and sports [4,5]; for scientists who study the processes of body adaptation to stress stimuli of various directions [6,7].…”

“…This is which complicates the optimization of the main structural elements of the training system in MMA [9]. However, specialists in the problems of improving training activity in martial arts have recently paid close attention to the issue of studying the mechanisms of correction of training load indicators noting the individual functional capabilities of the body [3,10,11]. The issue of determining informative markers for evaluating adaptive and compensatory body reactions (in conditions of training and competitive activity, depending on the style of fighting and the level of training), has also become acute for researchers in recent years [12,13,14].…”

“…The study of the main aspects of improving training activity in MMA at the stage of specialized basic training (through an in-depth study of the ratio of parameters of volume and intensity of physical exertion) is an integral component of system optimization in this sport [3,5,8]. Despite a number of studies conducted with the aim of determining the optimal load regimes for MMA athletes, mechanisms for assessing the course of adaptive body changes at the stage of specialized basic training have been partially described.…”