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2 AUTHORS:
Seth Lenetsky
4 PUBLICATIONS 8 CITATIONS
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SUMMARY
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS (MMA) IS A
COMBAT SPORT THAT HAS
GAINED MUCH POPULARITY IN
RECENT YEARS. DESPITE THIS
RECENT SURGE IN POPULARITY,
THERE IS LITTLE RESEARCH ON
THE PHYSIOLOGICAL DEMANDS
OF THE SPORT. CONSEQUENTLY,
STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING
PRACTICES ARE STILL BASED
LARGELY ON ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE AND TRADITION. THIS
REVIEW EXAMINES THE RESEARCH ON MMA AND THE
ASSOCIATED COMPONENT
SPORTS IN AN ATTEMPT TO UNDERPIN FUTURE TRAINING PRACTICES WITH AN EVIDENCE BASE.
INTRODUCTION
KEY WORDS:
Brozek et al (1963).
Age = years old; anaerobic test = watts per kilogram of body mass; body fat = percentage of total body mass; lower-body maximal strength = kilograms of weight lifted; mean body mass =
kilograms of body mass; pull-ups = repetitions performed; training experience = years of reported training; upper-body maximal strength = kilograms of weight lifted; vertical jump =
centimeters jumped vertically; V_ O2max = milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of bodyweight per minute, 30 seconds.
50.0 6 4.7
10.8 6 4.1
Male 77.4 6 19.5 19.7 6 0.8
Rahmani-Nia,
et al (45)
(n = 71)
7.0 6 0.6
W/kg (30-s
arm crank)
16.3 6 4.4* 11.1 6 4.2
Male 84.4 6 13.2 24.5 6 3.9
HubnerWozniak
et al (31)
(n = 11)
6.84 6 1.72
Baic et al
Male 74.7 6 14.8 18.3 6 0.91
(5) (n = 61)
Age (y)
Sex
31.4 6 11.0
53.9 6 5.6
111.7 6 21.5 kg 92.6 6 18.7 14.8 6 8.8
(squat)
kg (bench
press)
Vertical
V_ O2max
jump (cm) (mL/kg/min)
Pull-ups
Upper-body
maximal
strength
Lower-body
maximal
strength
Mean
anaerobic
power
Training
experience (y)
Body
fat (%)
Mean
body
mass
Table 1
Sex (n)
Mean
body
mass
Age (y)
Body
fat (%)
Training
experience
(y)
Mean
anaerobic
power
Mirzaei,
et al (40)
Male
77.5 6 19.8 19.8 6 0.9 10.6 6 3.8*
(n = 70)
Hubner-Wozniak
et al (36)
Male
75.5 6 13.3 22.7 6 3.3 13.5 6 3.3 10.8 6 3.6 660 6 133 W
(n = 10)
(Wingate
cycle test)
Lower-body
maximal
strength
Upper-body
maximal
strength
Pull-ups
Vertical
jump
(cm)
31.6 6 9.7
455.0 6
87.6 W
(Wingate
cycle test)
V_ O2max
(mL/kg/min)
50.5 6 4.7
(Bruce
protocol)
516 6 108 W
(Wingate
arm crank)
Female
61.7 6 7
(n = 12)
Baic et al (5)
Male
74.5 6 14
(n = 46)
McGuigan
et al (39)
Male
(n = 8)
Vardar
et al (72)
Male
(n = 8)
Female
(n = 8)
78 6 4.2
18.4 6 1.1
20 6 0.4
55 6 6.5
6.3 6 2
9.7 6 6.3
45 6 4
Table 2
Physiological characteristics of freestyle wrestlers
*Brozek et al.
9
23
Male
Yoon and Jun
(n = 21)
(1990), as cited
by Yoon (60)
Male
Horswill et al
(n = 12)
(1989), as cited
by Yoon (60)
Age = years old; anaerobic test = mean watts; body fat = percentage of total body mass; lower-body maximal strength = kilograms of weight lifted; mean body mass = kilograms of body
mass; pull-ups = repetitions performed; training experience = years of reported training; upper-body maximal strength = kilograms of weight lifted; vertical jump = centimeters jumped
vertically; V_ O2max = milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of bodyweight per minute, 30 seconds.
60.24 6 5.1
(treadmill)
51.5 6 1.4
(treadmill)
Table 2
(continued )
Analysis of the results from the grappling and clinch component sports
show several domains of similarity
across the sports. The greatest similarities lie in the lower-body strength and
power of the athletes. Vertical jump
testing by Baic et al (5) of Freestyle and
Greco-Roman wrestlers and Sertic et al
(50) testing of judo competitors
showed differences of scores that fell
within each others standard deviations. Jumps of 53.99 6 5.63 cm were
recorded for Greco-Roman wrestlers,
57.41 6 7.68 cm for freestyle wrestlers,
and 58.3 6 5.4 cm for judo competitors. Both studies excluded the protocols of the jumps performed. A
contrast in the research found in the
grappling component sports was the
study by McGuigan et al (39) on
collegiate wrestlers, which found
a mean jump height of 45 6 4 cm,
following the Bosco jump protocol. A
potential explanation for this difference
in scores may be due to the fact that
the wrestlers tested by McGuigan et al
(39) were in the NCAA Division III,
a lower division in American collegiate
athletics, whereas the athletes in the
other studies were members of the
Polish National Team (5) and elite
Croatian judo fighters (50). Other
reasons for the variance in results could
be due to a lower level of demands for
Sex
Mean
body
mass
Age (y)
Body
fat (%)
Training
experience (y)
Mean
anaerobic
power
Lower-body
maximal
strength
Upper-body
maximal
Pull- Vertical
V_ O2max
strength
ups jump (cm) (mL/kg/min)
Franchini et al (28)
Elite
Male
81.6 6 18.7 22.8 6 3.4
(n = 34)
5.7 6
0.7 W/kg
(Wingate
arm crank)
Nonelite
Male
70.4 6 14.7 19.2 6 4.5
(n = 56)
7.6 6
0.9 W/kg
(Wingate
arm crank)
Franchini et al (25)
90.6 6 23.8 25.6 6 4.0 11.4 6 8.4*
110 6
104 6 27 kg
25 kg
(Portico hack
(bench
machine)
press)
48.3 6 8.1
(McArdle
et al
protocol)
110 6
104 6 18 kg
23 kg
(Portico hack
(bench
machine)
press)
49.6 6 5.5
(McArdle
et al
protocol)
Test group A
Male
(n = 7)
Test group
B and C
Male
86.5 6 16.3 25.5 6 4.6 10.1 6 5.7*
(n = 15)
Sertic
et al (50)
Male
(n = 6)
Female
(n = 8)
$10
Sterkowicz
et al (52)
Male
82.8 6 16.3 22.8 6 3.9 13.7 6 3.37
(n = 15)
724.5 6
147.16 W
(Wingate
cycle test)
Sbriccoli
et al (49)
Male
(n = 6)
396.7 6 8.2
557.5 6
kg (Leg
85.9 W
press)
(Wingate
cycle test)
50.1 6 6.4
(treadmill)
160.0 6
29.8 kg
(bench
press)
47.3 6 10.9
(treadmill)
Table 3
Physiological characteristics of judo athletes
Slaughter (1988).
Age = years old; anaerobic test = mean watts or watts per kilogram of body mass; body fat = percentage of total body mass; lower-body maximal strength = kilograms of weight lifted;
mean body mass = kilograms of body mass; pull-ups = repetitions performed; training experience = years of reported training; upper-body maximal strength = kilograms of weight lifted;
vertical jump = centimeters jumped vertically; V_ O2max = milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of bodyweight per minute, 30 seconds.
29.5 6 0.94
(crank);
44 6 7.2
(cycle)
30 6 3.5
(crank);
50.2 6 6.4
(cycle)
52.9 6 4.4
(treadmill)
73.8 6
13.1 kg
(bench
press)
305 6 19.1
285 6
kg (leg
10.9 W
press)
(Wingate
cycle test)
63.8 6 10.5 28.1 6 0.8
Female
(n = 5)
Table 3
(continued )
lower-body power in collegiate wrestling in general or it could be a miscalculation due to the possible variety
of testing methods. In the context of
MMA, it could be contended that the
differences in McGuigan et al (39) are
similar enough to the other studies in
the review that when viewed as a whole
provide insights into the lower-body
power of grapplers. Likewise, lowerbody maximal strength appears similar
between the sports in the studies. Of
those choosing to test lower-body
strength with a maximal squat, Baic
et al (5) found Greco-Roman wrestlers
to have a slightly stronger squat than
freestyle wrestlers, with reported
squats of 111.71 6 21.58 kg and
107.68 6 23.27 kg, respectively, at
mean body weights of 74.7 6 14.8 kg
and 74.5 6 14 kg. McGuigan et al (39)
found similar squat results in collegiate
wrestlers with 105 6 19 kg reported at
a similar weight (78 6 4.2 kg), whereas
in judo, a squatting-like movement on
the Portico hack machine provided
similar indicators of lower-body
strength with 104 6 27 kg reported
but at a much higher mean body
weight of 90.6 6 23.8 kg (25).
The greatest variation between the
grappling and clinch component sports
appeared in the upper-body maximal
strength measurements. Greco-Roman
wrestlers were found to have a bench
press of 92.66 6 18.71 kg (5), where in
the same study, freestyle wrestlers had
a bench press of 117.44 6 230.15 kg,
and in the study by McGuigan et al
(39), a mean total of 129 19 kg was
observed for freestyle wrestlers bench
press, all performed by athletes of
similar weight. In the study that
documented the highest level of upper-body strength, Sbriccoli et al (49)
found judo fighters to have a bench
press of 160 6 29.8 kg, although the
athletes tested by Sbriccoli et al (49)
were the largest of the grapplers tested
with a mean weight of 109 6 29.3 kg.
This wide range of results does not
provide the potential refinement of the
MMA physiological profile in the ways
that the lower-body strength and
power findings may provide.
10
Table 4
Physiological characteristics of TKD athletes
Sex
Pieter and
Male
Bercades (43)
(n = 9)
Mean body
mass
Age (y)
Training
experience
Body fat (%)
(y)
Mean
anaerobic
power
26.8 6 7.47*
Lower-body
maximal
strength
Upper-body
maximal
strength
Pullups
Vertical
jump (cm)
41.3 6 10.1
33.1 6 6 kg
(leg press)
33.6 6 5.4
Female
49.2 6 6.2
(n = 10)
Male
(n = 10)
23.6 6 3.8
527 6 87 W
(Wingate
cycle test)
46.5 6 4
(multistage
fitness test)
Female
58.6 6 8.3
(n = 10)
24.1 6 3.8
356.9 6
62.2 W
(Wingate
cycle test)
35.6 6 3.9
(multistage
fitness test)
Male
62.2 6 1.2
(n = 52)
16.2 6 0.1
11 6 0.3
4.6 6 0.3
513.1 6
14.1 W
(Wingate
cycle test)
Female
53.2 6 1
(n = 44)
15.4 6 0.1
19.4 6 0.5
4.3 6 0.3
346.3 6 7.5 W
(Wingate
cycle test)
Markovic
et al (38)
Female
60.1 6 9.0
(n = 13)
21.5 6 4.1
16.5 6 2.7
710
Bouhlel
et al (10)
Male
(n = 8)
20 6 1
11.8 6 3
Chan and
Pieter (19)
Bercades
et al (7)
71.6 6 9
70.8 6 6
79.0 6
18.8 kg
(squat)
40.8 6 6 kg
(bench
press)
V_ O2max
(mL/kg/min)
51.2 6 11 kg
(bench
press)
34.9 6 3.0
56.2 6 2.5
(multistage
fitness test)
*Deurenberg-Yap et al (2000).
Slaughter 1988.
Durini and Rahaman (1967).
Durnin and Womersly (1974).
11
Age = years old; anaerobic test = mean watts; body fat = percentage of total body mass; lower-body maximal strength = kilograms of weight lifted; mean body mass = kilograms of body
mass; pull-ups = repetitions performed; training experience = years of reported training; upper-body maximal strength = kilograms of weight lifted; vertical jump = centimeters jumped
vertically; V_ O2max = milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of bodyweight per minute, 30 seconds.
Age = years old; anaerobic test = watts per kilogram of body mass; body fat = percentage of total body mass; lower-body maximal strength = percentage of body weight; mean body mass
= kilograms of body mass; pull-ups = repetitions performed; training experience = years of reported training; upper-body maximal strength = kilograms of weight lifted; vertical jump =
centimeters jumped vertically; V_ O2max = milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of bodyweight per minute, 30 seconds.
*Siri (1956).
Male
65.1 6 1.2 23.7 6 15
(n = 10)
$3
Crisafulli et al (21)
Age (y)
Sex
12
48.52 6 1.7
(treadmill)
47.8 6 0.9
(cycle)
347.5 6 26.7
% of BW (leg
dynamometer)
18.8 W/kg
(not
specified)
Lower-body
maximal
strength
Mean
anaerobic
power
Training
experience
(y)
Body
fat (%)
Mean
body
mass
Table 5
Upper-body
Vertical
maximal
Pull- jump
V_ O2max
strength
ups
(cm)
(mL/kg/min)
Male
71.8 6 15.1 22.8 6 2.1 9.4 6 5.2
(n = 13)
Hubner-Wozniak
et al (31)
8.5 6 2.5
6.2 6
0.6 W/kg (30-s
arm crank)
60 kg (8 RM) 55 kg (8 RM
bench press)
$7
68.3
25
12.1*
Male
(n = 1)
Morton et al (41)
Age (y)
Sex
Age = years old; anaerobic test = watts per kilogram of body mass; body fat = percentage of total body mass; lower-body maximal strength = kilograms of weight lifted; mean body mass =
kilograms of body mass; pull-ups = repetitions performed; training experience = years of reported training; upper-body maximal strength = kilograms of weight lifted; vertical jump =
centimeters jumped vertically; V_ O2max = milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of bodyweight per minute, 30 seconds.
57.5 6 4.7
(treadmill)
61.4 (not
specified)
Vertical
jump
V_ O2max
(cm)
(mL/kg/min)
Pullups
Upper-body
maximal
strength
Lower-body
maximal
strength
Mean
anaerobic
power
Training
experience
(y)
Body
fat (%)
Mean body
mass
Table 6
13
14
Seth Lenetsky
is a post graduate
student of sport and
exercise science with
Auckland University of Technologys
School of Sport and
Recreation and
a strength and conditioning coach.
Nigel Harris is
a senior lecturer in
Sport and Exercise
Science at AUT
University and
a strength and
conditioning
coach.
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