Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a 4-month judo training (1-hr training session, twice a week) on anthropometrical variables in older individuals (age: 60-76 yrs). The experimental group (JG) included 19 (F=9, M=10; 68.9±3.7yrs) participants to a 4-month judo programme, whereas the control group (CG) encompassed 14 (F=7, M=7; CG: 69.9±4.9 yrs) sedentary controls (CG). The considered anthropometric variables were: weight (Wt), height (Ht), body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and hip circumference (HC). A 2 (gender) x 2 (group) x 2 (intervention) ANOVA for repeated measures was applied to ascertain differences between groups (p<0.05). A main effect emerged for gender (p=0.017) and intervention (p=0.001), whilst significant interactions group x gender (p=0.007) and intervention x group (p=0.032) were revealed. Regarding intervention effect, significant differences (p<0.001) emerged for weight (pre: 74.2±12 kg; post: 72.8±12.8 kg) and BMI (pre: 27.16±3.1 kg·m-2; post: 26.66±3.13 kg·m-2). For the intervention x group interaction, a significant difference (p=0.01) was confirmed only for hip circumference in the experimental group (pre: 101±5.4 cm; post: 99.9±4.9 cm). In considering that individuals older than 55 years tend to adopt sedentary lifestyles [2] and to increase anthropometric variables related to health risks [3], intervention approaches are needed to increase the level of physical activity in older adults [1]. The present findings indicate that practising judo in older ages allows to control the anthropometric variables, thus opening a new research line on this discipline.
