Abstract
Combat sports encompass a range of sports, each involving physical combat between participants. Such sports are unique, with competitive success in uenced by a diverse range of physical characteristics. Effectively identifying and evaluating each characteristic is essential for athletes and support staff alike. Previous research investigating the relationship between combat sports performance and measures of strength and power is robust. However, research investigating the relationship between combat sports performance and assessments of endurance is less conclusive. As a physical characteristic, endurance is complex and in uenced by multiple factors including mechanical ef ciency, maximal aerobic capacity, metabolic thresholds, and anaerobic capacities. To assess endurance of combat sports athletes, previous research has employed methods ranging from incremental exercise tests to circuits involving sports-speci c techniques. These tests range in their ability to discern various physiological attributes or performance characteristics, with varying levels of accuracy and ecological validity. In fact, it is unclear how various physiological attributes in uence combat sport endurance performance. Further, the sensitivity of sports speci c skills in performance based tests is also unclear. When developing or utilizing tests to better understand an athletes' combat sports-speci c endurance characteristic, it is important to consider what information the test will and will not provide. Additionally, it is important to determine which combination of performance and physiological assessments will provide the most comprehensive picture. Strengthening the understanding of assessing combat sport-speci c endurance as a physiological process and as a performance metric will improve the quality of future research and help support staff effectively monitor their athlete's characteristics.
Description
This article reviews methods for assessing endurance in combat sports athletes.