Cardiac Autonomic and Neuromuscular Responses During a Karate Training Camp Prior to the 2015 Pan American Games: A Case Study With the Brazilian National Team

Purpose:To quantify the training loads reported by karate athletes of the National Team in the week immediately prior to their participation in the 2015 Pan American Games. Methods:  11 elite karate athletes (7 men and 4 women: 24.42 ± 3.75 years; 1.70 ± 0.09 m; 69.6 ± 13.2 kg) from the Brazilian national team took part in this study. The session rating of perceived exertion (s-RPE) was quantified in all training sessions. Moreover, the resting heart rate variability (HRV), as analyzed through the natural log of the root-mean-square difference of successive normal RR intervals (lnRMSSD), and the countermovement jump (CMJ) performance pre- and post-eight training sessions were assessed throughout the week. The differences based on magnitudes were calculated comparing pre- and post-training session as well as measures performed every morning during the week. Results:  the weekly s-RPE was 2608.5 ± 431.2 a.u. The lnRMSSD was very likely higher on Monday when compared to the measures on the following days of the week, remaining stable during this period. The CMJ height did not change during the week. Almost certainly differences were observed in the lnRMSSD pre- and post-training session, while the CMJ height did not change. Conclusion: the national karate team athletes did not present signs of fatigue accumulation as indicated by relatively steady HRV and unchanged CMJ during the week, as planned by the coaches for the pre-competition technical and tactical refinement.