Experience, Training Preferences, and Fighting Style Are Differentially Related to Measures of Body Composition, Strength, and Power in Male Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Athletes—A Pilot Study

Department

Exercise Science and Sport Management

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2023

Abstract

To examine relationships between Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) descriptors (belt rank, experience, gi preference, and fighting style), resistance training (RT) experience, and measures of body composition, strength (maximal handgrip, 3-5-repetition maximum [RM] in barbell glute bridge [GB], prone bench row [PBR], and bench press [BP]), and velocity (GB, PBR, and BP at 7 kg and 30–60% 1-RM), 13 experienced (4.3 ± 3.4 years) BJJ athletes were recruited for this cross-sectional, pilot study. Significant (p < 0.05) Kendall’s tau and Bayesian relationships were seen between belt rank and body fat percentage (τ = −0.53, BF10 = 6.5), BJJ experience and body fat percentage (τ = −0.44 to −0.66, BF10 = 2.6–30.8) and GB velocity (τ = −0.45 to −0.46, BF10 = 2.8–3.1), RT experience and strength (τ = 0.44 to 0.73, BF10 = 2.6–75.1) and velocity (τ = −0.44 to 0.47, BF10 = 2.6–3.3), gi preference-training and relative PBR strength (τ = 0.70, BF10 = 51.9), gi preference-competition and height and lean mass (τ = −0.57 to 0.67, BF10 = 5.3–12.4) and BP velocity (τ = −0.52 to 0.67, BF10 = 3.5–14.0). The relevance of body composition and performance measures to sport-specific training and research interpretation are differentially affected by a BJJ athlete’s experience (BJJ, belt rank, RT), gi preferences, and fighting style.

Journal Title

Sports

Journal ISSN

2075-4663

Volume

11

Issue

1

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.3390/sports11010013

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