Ninja Science

Scientist recently announced that they can now analyze the energy which is spent by martial artist. Previously, scientist have only been able to study predictable sports such as jogging and cycling, which are easy to replicate under lab conditions because the athlete stays in one spot. These findings could help martial artists train to become better fighters.

Each and every sport works three energy systems: Aerobic Metabolism uses oxygen to convert nutrients into energy; lactic anaerobic metabolism generates energy without oxygen, exclusively from sugars such as glucose, with lactate as a byproduct; and for very short bursts of energy, alactic anaerobic metabolism produces energy without oxygen and without producing lactate. When most people think of an aerobic sport, they think of long distance running, swimming, and cycling. An example of an anerobic sport would include weight lifting.

Martial arts such as judo, ninjustsu, tae kwon do, and karate have been popular for years. Discovering what our body is doing during a fight will help shed light on which training techniques martial artists might want in order to be at their best and perform more efficiently.

In a recent experiment, a judoka performed three different types of throws for 5 minutes, one every 15 seconds. The scientists found that throws like the seoi-nage, or shoulder throws, demand higher aerobic activity. They also discovered that a harai-goshi throw, or sweeping hip throws, depend on anaerobic activity.

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