Enhancing Anaerobic Performance in Kickboxers: The Strategic Role of Short-Duration Napping

Abstract

The intricate relationship between sleep and athletic performance has long been a subject of interest in sports science. This study delves into the specific impact of short-duration napping on anaerobic performance parameters in the study of kickboxing, an intense combat sport demanding both physical prowess and strategic acumen. We conducted a controlled investigation with 14 young elite male kickboxers, characterized by an average age of 20.29 ± 0.80 years, a height of 174.48 ± 4.11 cm, body masses of 70.46 ± 7.78 kg, and a body mass index (BMI) of 23.12 ± 2.02 kg/m². The experimental design encompassed three distinct conditions: no napping (N0), a 25-minute nap (N25), and a 45-minute nap (N45). The evaluation focused on several key performance metrics, including countermovement jump (CMJ), mean power, and peak power outputs. Intriguingly, our findings indicated that while CMJ values remained relatively unaffected by the napping conditions, significant variations were observed in both mean and peak power outputs, particularly among participants who napped. These variations suggest that napping, even for short durations, can significantly influence certain anaerobic performance parameters in kickboxers, with a marked improvement in power-related aspects. This research contributes to the expanding body of literature on the role of sleep and rest in athletic performance, specifically highlighting the potential of napping as an effective strategy for enhancing physical capabilities in combat sports. The implications of these findings extend beyond the realm of kickboxing, offering valuable insights and practical applications for athletic training and performance optimization across various sports disciplines where anaerobic capabilities are crucial.

Keywords

• Anaerobic performance
• Kickboxing
• Napping
• Peak power output
• Sports performance optimization

Kickboksta Anaerobik Performansı Arttırmak: Kısa Süreli Şekerlemenin Stratejik Rolü

Öz

Uyku ile atletik performans arasındaki karmaşık ilişki, uzun zamandır spor bilimlerinin ilgi alanında yer almaktadır. Bu çalışma, fiziksel güç ve stratejik akıl gerektiren yoğun bir dövüş sporu olan kickboks bağlamında kısa süreli şekerlemenin anaerobik performans parametreleri üzerindeki özel etkisini incelemektedir. Ortalama yaşları 20.29 ± 0.80, boy ortalamaları 174.48 ± 4.11 cm, vücut ağırlıkları 70.46 ± 7.78 kg ve vücut kütle indeksi (VKİ) 23.12 ± 2.02 kg/m² olan 14 genç elit erkek kickboksçu ile kontrollü bir araştırma gerçekleştirilmiştir. Deneysel tasarım, üç farklı durumu kapsamaktadır: şekerleme yok (N0), 25 dakikalık şekerleme (N25) ve 45 dakikalık şekerleme (N45). Değerlendirme, countermovement sıçraması (CMJ), ortalama güç ve tepe güç çıkışları dahil olmak üzere birçok anahtar performans metriğine odaklanmıştır. Bulgularımız, ilginç bir şekilde, şekerleme koşullarının CMJ değerlerini nispeten etkilememiş olmasına karşın, özellikle şekerleme yapan katılımcılar arasında hem ortalama hem de zirve güç çıkışlarında önemli değişiklikler gözlemlendiğini göstermektedir. Bu değişiklikler, kısa süreli şekerlemenin, özellikle güçle ilgili yönlerde, kickboksçularda belirli anaerobik performans parametrelerini önemli ölçüde etkileyebileceğini düşündürmektedir. Bu araştırma, uyku ve dinlenmenin atletik performanstaki rolü üzerine genişleyen literatüre katkıda bulunmakta, özellikle kısa süreli şekerlemenin dövüş sporlarında fiziksel yetenekleri arttırmak için etkili bir strateji olarak potansiyelini vurgulamaktadır. Bu bulguların etkileri, kickboks alanını aşarak, anaerobik yeteneklerin kritik olduğu çeşitli spor disiplinlerinde antrenman ve performans optimizasyonu için değerli içgörüler ve pratik uygulamalar sunmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Anaerobik performans
• Kickboks
• Şekerleme
• Zirve güç çıkışı
• Spor performansı optimizasyonu

Kaynakça

1. Ajjimaporn, A., Ramyarangsi, P., & Siripornpanich, V. (2020). Effects of a 20-min nap after sleep deprivation on brain activity and soccer performance. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 41(14), 1009–1016. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-1192-6187
2. Bayer, R., Nobari, H., Eken, Ö., Bayrakdaroğlu, S., Koç, H., Pardos, E. M., & Yağın, F. H. (2023). Effect of different specific warm-up protocols and time of day on optimum power performance in kickboxers. Turkish Journal of Kinesiology, 9(1), 41–51. https://doi.org/10.31459/turkjkin.1225476
3. Bayrakdaroğlu, S., & Can, I. (2018). Anaerobic power, lower-body strength characteristic, and some kinetics and kinematics during loaded-squat jump movement in Turkish national boxers and kickboxers. Science of Martial Arts, 14, 153–159.
4. Boukhris, O., Trabelsi, K., Ammar, A., Abdessalem, R., Hsouna, H., Glenn, J. M., Bott, N., Driss, T., Souissi, N., Hammouda, O., Garbarino, S., Bragazzi, N. L., & Chtourou, H. (2020). A 90 min daytime nap opportunity is better than 40 min for cognitive and physical performance. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(13), 4650. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17134650
5. Boukhris, O., Trabelsi, K., Suppiah, H., Ammar, A., Clark, C. C. T., Jahrami, H., Chtourou, H., & Driller, M. (2023). The impact of daytime napping following normal night-time sleep on physical performance: A Systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression. Sports Medicine, 54, 323–345. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-023-01920-2
6. Chaabene, H., Negra, Y., Capranica, L., Prieske, O., & Granacher, U. (2019). A Needs analysis of karate kumite with recommendations for performance testing and training. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 41(3), 35–46. https://doi.org/10.1519/SSC.0000000000000445
7. Chaabène, H., Tabben, M., Mkaouer, B., Franchini, E., Negra, Y., Hammami, M., Amara, S., Chaabène, R. B., & Hachana, Y. (2015). Amateur boxing: Physical and physiological attributes. Sports Medicine, 45(3), 337–352. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-014-0274-7
8. Dinges, D.F. (1989). Sleep and alertness: Chronobiological, behavioral and medical aspects of napping. In D. Dinges & R. Broughton (Eds.), Napping patterns and effects in human adults. (Vol. 3, pp. 171–204). Raven Press.

9. Faul, F., Erdfelder, E., Lang, A.-G., & Buchner, A. (2007). G*Power 3: A flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences. Behavior Research Methods, 39(2), 175–191. https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03193146
10. Hopkins, W. G., Marshall, S. W., Batterham, A. M., & Hanin, J. (2009). Progressive statistics for studies in sports medicine and exercise science. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 41(1), 3–12. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e31818cb278
11. Hsouna, H., Boukhris, O., Abdessalem, R., Trabelsi, K., Ammar, A., Shephard, R. J., & Chtourou, H. (2019). Effect of different nap opportunity durations on short-term maximal performance, attention, feelings, muscle soreness, fatigue, stress and sleep. Physiology & Behavior, 211, Article 112673. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.112673
12. Johnson, D. L., & Bahamonde, R. (1996). Power output estimate in university athletes. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 10(3), 161–166. https://doi.org/10.1519/00124278-199608000-00006
13. Jones, B. J., Kaur, S., Miller, M., & Spencer, R. M. C. (2020). Mindfulness-based stress reduction benefits psychological well-being, sleep quality, and athletic performance in female collegiate rowers. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, Article 572980. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.572980
14. Laett, C. T., Silva, R., Cossich, C. F. S., Monteiro, W., Barcellos, L. C., & Cossich, V. R. A. (2023). Maximum and explosive strength in Brazilian kickboxing athletes: asymmetries between limbs and the relationship with the single jump distance. Sport Sciences for Health, 19(1), 241–247. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-022-01024-w
15. Lovato, N., & Lack, L. (2010). The effects of napping on cognitive functioning. Progress in Brain Research, 185, 155-166. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-53702-7.00009-9 Marshall, G. J. G., & Turner, A. N. (2016). The importance of sleep for athletic performance. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 38(1), 61–67. https://doi.org/10.1519/SSC.0000000000000189
16. Matsudo, V. K. R., Rivet, R. E., & Pereira, M. H. N. (1987). Standard score assessment on physique and performance of Brazilian athletes in a six tiered competitive sports model∗. Journal of Sports Sciences, 5(1), 49–53. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640418708729763
17. Matsumoto, D., Konno, J., & Ha, H. (2009). Sport psychology in combat sports. In: Kordi, R., Maffulli, N., Wroble, R.R., Wallace, W.A. (eds) Combat sports medicine. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84800-354-5_3
18. Nindl, B. C., Jaffin, D. P., Dretsch, M. N., Cheuvront, S. N., Wesensten, N. J., Kent, M. L., Grunberg, N. E., Pierce, J. R., Barry, E. S., Scott, J. M., Young, A. J., O’Connor, F. G., & Deuster, P. A. (2015). Human performance optimization metrics. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 29(Supplement 11), S221–S245. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000001114
19. Pedersen, S., Heitmann, K. A., Sagelv, E. H., Johansen, D., & Pettersen, S. A. (2019). Improved maximal strength is not associated with improvements in sprint time or jump height in high-level female football players: a cluster-randomized controlled trial. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, 11(1), 20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-019-0133-9
20. Russo, G., & Ottoboni, G. (2019). The perceptual – Cognitive skills of combat sports athletes: A systematic review. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 44, 60–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2019.05.004
21. Sales, M., Maciel, A., Aguiar, S., Asano, R., Motta-Santos, D., Moraes, J., Alves, P., Santos, P., Barbosa, L., Ernesto, C., & Sousa, C. (2018). Vertical jump is strongly associated to running-based anaerobic sprint test in teenage futsal male athletes. Sports, 6(4), 129. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports6040129
22. Sawczuk, T., Jones, B., Scantlebury, S., & Till, K. (2018). Relationships between training load, sleep duration, and daily well-being and recovery measures in youth athletes. Pediatric Exercise Science, 30(3), 345–352. https://doi.org/10.1123/pes.2017-0190
23. Schoenfeld, B. J., Grgic, J., & Krieger, J. (2019). How many times per week should a muscle be trained to maximize muscle hypertrophy? A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining the effects of resistance training frequency. Journal of Sports Sciences, 37(11), 1286–1295. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2018.1555906
24. Slimani, M., Chaabene, H., Miarka, B., Franchini, E., Chamari, K., & Cheour, F. (2017). Kickboxing review: anthropometric, psychophysiological and activity profiles and injury epidemiology. Biology of Sport, 2, 185–196. https://doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2017.65338
25. Souabni, M., Hammouda, O., Romdhani, M., Trabelsi, K., Ammar, A., & Driss, T. (2021). Benefits of daytime napping opportunity on physical and cognitive performances in physically active participants: A systematic review. Sports Medicine, 51(10), 2115–2146. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-021-01482-1
26. Souabni, M., Hammouda, O., Souabni, M. J., Romdhani, M., & Driss, T. (2023). 40-min nap opportunity attenuates heart rate and perceived exertion and improves physical specific abilities in elite basketball players. Research in Sports Medicine, 31(6), 859–872. https://doi.org/10.1080/15438627.2022.2064221
27. Stowe, S. R., LeBourgeois, M. K., & Diniz Behn, C. (2023). Modeling the effects of napping and non-napping patterns of light exposure on the human circadian oscillator. Journal of Biological Rhythms, 38(5), 492–509. https://doi.org/10.1177/07487304231180953
28. Tayech, A., Mejri, M. A., Chaouachi, M., Chaabene, H., Hambli, M., Brughelli, M., Behm, D. G., & Chaouachi, A. (2020). Taekwondo anaerobic intermittent kick test: Discriminant validity and an update with the gold-standard Wingate test. Journal of Human Kinetics, 71(1), 229–242. https://doi.org/10.2478/hukin-2019-0081
29. Teece, A. R., Beaven, C. M., Argus, C. K., Gill, N., & Driller, M. W. (2023). Daytime naps improve afternoon power and perceptual measures in elite rugby union athletes-a randomized cross-over trial. SLEEP, 46(12), zsad133. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsad133
30. Yagin, F. H., Eken, Ö., Bayer, R., Salcman, V., Gabrys, T., Koç, H., Yagin, B., & Eken, İ. (2022). A thirty-minute nap enhances performance in running-based anaerobic sprint tests during and after ramadan observance. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(22), Article 14699. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192214699