Nutrition in Combat Sports

336 G.J. Buse
Kickboxing style Legal techniques Legal scoring areas a
Thai (Muay Thai) Punches, clinching, takedowns, elbow
strikes, b knee strikes, c
Head, neck, torso, upper and
kicks
lower extremities
Japanese (International Punches, clinching,
Rules)
b elbow strikes, b
knee strikes, c
Similar to Thai style
kicks
Chinese (San Shou) Punches, clinching, takedowns, body
throws, knee strikes, b,c kicks
Similar to Thai style
French (Savate) Punches, kicks Similar to Thai style
Indian (Adithada) Similar to Thai style; includes pressure
point techniques
Similar to Thai style
American/European Punches, foot sweeps, kicks Except for foot sweeps, all
(Full-Contact Karate)
blows are above the waist
a The posterior head, spine, and groin are not usually legal scoring areas
b Allowed variably in some organizations
c Table 19.1 Legal techniques and scoring areas in kickboxing [1–8]
Head is a legal target variably with this technique
Table 19.2 Percent contribution of anaerobic and aerobic metabolism to ATP replenishment
during maximal-intensity exercise (Adapted from Powers and Howley [9])
Duration of maximal-intensity exercise (s)
10 30 60 120 240 600 1,800
Anaerobic (%) 90 80 70 60 35 15 5
Aerobic (%) 10 20 30 40 65 85 95
Shaded portion represents typical time range of a round in kickboxing
lasting greater than 2 min, pyruvic acid-producing aerobic glycolysis, the Krebs
cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation pathway work in tandem to provide the majority
of ATP replenishment. To clarify, aerobic metabolism still occurs during short-duration,
maximal-intensity exercise; however, the majority of ATP is provided via anaerobic
pathways in such instances (Table 19.2 ). [9]
As with karate, the repetitive delivery of high-power techniques makes kickboxing
an anaerobically demanding sport. [10] Anaerobic replenishment of ATP is key to
maximal power output, which is the maximum amount of work done in the least
amount of time. [9] However, since rounds last between 2 and 4 min, a match may
have up to 12 rounds, and recovery is facilitated by aerobic metabolism, a kickboxer
could conceivably derive more than 50% of ATP from aerobic metabolism
(Table 19.2 ). [9, 11]
Since kickboxing taxes both the anaerobic and aerobic systems, the kickboxer
should focus on optimizing each. Poor anaerobic or aerobic capacity is of concern,
for the unconditioned, inexperienced competitor may be at increased risk for injury. [12]
In addition to adequate rest, nutrition, cultivation of kickboxing skills, and psychological
preparedness, a critical determinant of a fighter’s success is the degree to
which he/she trains the metabolic pathways and skeletal muscles. [13]
Zabukovec and Tiidus examined physiologic variables among four elite professional
kickboxers. [14] Mean anaerobic capacity was comparatively higher than that