Effects of a four-month judo training on gait performance in old male and female practitioners

Abstract

The fall-related injuries are a crucial health, social, and economic problem in older popula- tions and there is a need of effective programmes to prevent falling1. To quantify locomotion changes with aging and to monitor the effects of therapeutic interventions, gait variability is a sensitive and clinically relevant parameter2. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a 4-month judo training (1-hr training session, twice a week) on gait performance in older individuals (age: 60-76 yrs). The experimental group (JG) included 16 (F=8, M=8; 69.3±3.9 yrs) participants to a 4-month judo programme, whereas the control group (CG) encompassed 14 (F=5, M=9; CG: 70.1±4.5 yrs) moderately active controls (CG). Average values (AVG) and coef- ficients of variation (CV) of step length during habitual (HWS) and maximal walking speed (MWS) were computed in a flat path (flat), walking on a narrow (20 cm wide) corridor (corri- dor), and walking on a path with hurdles (hurdles). A 2 (gender) x 2 (group) x 2 (time) ANOVA for repeated measures was applied to ascertain differences between groups in the different con- ditions (p<0.05). A main effect emerged for time (p=0.042), whilst significant interactions time x group (p=0.004) and time x group x gender (p=0.019) were revealed. Post hoc analysis (adjusted p for 12 comparisons = 0.0041) did not confirm the differences for the time effect. Regarding the time x group interaction, significant reductions were confirmed in JG for CV in the HWS- flat (pre: 4.79±2.08%, post: 3.74±1.27%, p=0.03), MWSflat (pre: 4.71±1.34%, post: 3.89±1.22%, p=0.013), and HWShurdles (pre: 11.26±2.58%, post: 9.62±1.62%, p=0.012). In CG significant increases were confirmed for CV in the MWSflat (pre: 3.47±0.94%, post: 4.67±2.21%, p=0.039) and MWScorridor (pre: 4.85±1.54%, post: 6.24±2.16%, p=0.007). Regarding the interaction time x group x gender, significant differences emerged for CV in HWShurdles (p=0.003). Post hoc analysis maintained significant differences for the female JG (pre: 11.81±3.42%, post: 8.92±1.47%, p=0.017). These findings indicate a positive effect of judo training on gait performance in novice senior judo population, particularly in women.