Unit 9 Assignment 2. Research Report.

Unit 9 Assignment 2




Is heat acclimatisation training necessary
for taekwondo athletes to improve
competition performance?

, Unit 9 Assignment 2


Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of World Taekwondo (WT) gear on
thermoregulatory responses and performance during combat situations. The sample consisted of 30
taekwondo athletes (age: 26.2 ± 7.03 years old; height; 170.4 ± 13.99 cm; body mass: 77.7 ± 16.79 kg)
who compete at national and international level. To determine the effects that WT gear has on
thermoregulatory responses and performance, the athletes performed a multidimensional taekwondo–
specific test requiring the use aerobic power, anaerobic fitness, and agility known as the taekwondo-
specific aerobic-anaerobic-agility (TAAA) which comprised of six 20 second intervals of shuttle sprints
over a 4-m distance, and the execution of 45 o roundhouse kicks (known as beet chagi in Korean
terminology) alternating the legs at the end of each distance, with 10 second rest intervals between the
sets. Each participant completed the TAAA test once without WT gear and once with WT gear to
investigate if WT gear caused any differences in performance and/or thermoregulatory responses using
WT gear. Thermoregulatory responses were measured through a measurement of ear temperature and
performance was measured through measurements of the number of kicks, heart rate, and rating of
perceived exertion (RPE). The number of kicks, heart rate was measured during the test whilst ear
temperature and RPE was measured immediately after the test. Using the Wilcoxon–signed rank test
revealed that WT gear caused significant differences in the number of kicks (p < 0.001), heart rate (p <
0.001), ear temperature (p < 0.001), and RPE (p = 0.003). The researcher found that heat acclimatisation
training is necessary to improve taekwondo performance. The data obtained in the current study
revealed that WT gear increased body temperature and training effort whilst decreasing performance in
taekwondo athletes. The researcher was able to accept their hypothesis (H1) that ‘Heat acclimatisation
training is needed to optimise taekwondo performance’. Importantly, the findings in this study are
useful for coaches so that they can consider an alternative method of training to improve VO2 max
under heat stress by incorporating the use of WT gear for high intensity training. The use of WT gear in
training is simple, inexpensive, and convenient to implement into the training of taekwondo athletes
ranging from regional level to elite level.




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, Unit 9 Assignment 2


General contents page

Title page......................................................................................................................................................1

Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………...…...........................................................2

General contents page………….………………………………………………………………………............................................3

Contents page for figures and tables……………………………………………………………………………………………………….4

Contents page for appendices…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………5

Acknowledgments........................................................................................................................................6

List of figures and tables.………………………………………………………………………....................................................7

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………...........................................................20

Literature review…………………………………………………………………………………….................................................21

Methodology……………………………………………………………………………………………...............................................24

Results…………………….………………………………………………………………………………................................................28

Kicks……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…28

Heart rate………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….31

Ear temperature……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….34

Rating of Perceived Exertion………………….………………………………………………………………………………….37

Discussion…………….…………………………………………………………………………........................................................40

Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….42

References………………………………………………………………………………………........................................................44

Appendices……………………………………………………………………..........................................................................47




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, Unit 9 Assignment 2


Contents page for figures and tables

Fig 1. Flow chart of study progress. TAAA: Taekwondo-specific aerobic-anaerobic-agility test………………..7

Fig 2. Demographic of the participants…………………………………………………………………………………………………….7

Fig 3. Layout of the Taekwondo-specific aerobic-anaerobic-agility (TAAA) test………………………………….......8

Fig 4. Comparison of kicks without WT Taekwondo gear and kicks with WT Taekwondo gear…………………8

Fig 5. Mean kicks without WT Taekwondo gear and with WT Taekwondo gear……………………………………….9

Fig 6. Comparison of heart rate without WT Taekwondo gear and kicks with WT Taekwondo gear…………9

Fig 7. Mean heart rate without WT Taekwondo gear and with WT Taekwondo gear………………………….….10

Fig 8. Comparison of ear temperature without WT Taekwondo gear and kicks with WT Taekwondo
gear……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….10

Fig 9. Mean ear temperature without WT Taekwondo gear and with WT Taekwondo gear…………………..11

Fig 10. Comparison of RPE without WT Taekwondo gear and kicks with WT Taekwondo gear………………11

Fig 11. Mean RPE without WT Taekwondo gear and with WT Taekwondo gear…………………………………….12

Fig 12. Normality of data for kicks without WT Taekwondo gear……………………………………………………………12

Fig 13. Normality of data for kicks with WT Taekwondo gear…………………………………………………………………13

Fig 14. Normality of data for heart rate without WT Taekwondo gear…………………………………………………..13

Fig 15. Normality of data for heart rate with WT Taekwondo gear………………………………………………………..14

Fig 16. Normality of data for ear temperature without WT Taekwondo gear………………………………………...14

Fig 17. Normality of data for ear temperature with WT Taekwondo gear………………………………………………15

Fig 18. Normality of data for RPE without WT Taekwondo gear…………………………………………………………….15

Fig 19. Normality of data for RPE with WT Taekwondo gear………………………………………………………………….15

Fig 20. Data analysis of kicks without WT Taekwondo gear and kicks with WT Taekwondo gear…………...16

Fig 21. Data analysis of heart rate without WT Taekwondo gear and heart rate with WT Taekwondo
gear……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….17

Fig 22. Data analysis of ear temperature without WT Taekwondo gear and ear temperature with WT
Taekwondo gear……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………18

Fig 23. Data analysis of RPE without WT Taekwondo gear and RPE with WT Taekwondo gear………………19




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