Literature Review
Literature Review
Physical fitness is enhanced by increasing both aerobic and anaerobic powers. Researchers have conducted numerous studies with aims of understanding the activities that can promote aerobic and anaerobic power responses. Athletics has been one of the major areas under which researchers have conducted surveys. The article demonstrates how Tae Kwon Do can be used to investigate sexual dimorphism among humans during their adolescent stage.
There has been an existing controversy over the influence of martial arts towards enhancing physical fitness among humans. In addition, since Tae Kwon Do has very many activities, it would be easier to investigate the sexual dimorphism among the practising youths.
According to a research conducted by Noorul, Pieter and Erie (2008), physical fitness among adolescents can be used to investigate sexual dimorphism among young humans. According to their research, which they conducted on eight boys and nine girls, there were significant differences in the capacity of the adolescents to engage in different activities.
The youths were taken from the Kelantan Tae Kwon Do team and since they were preparing themselves for the national tournament, they were well trained in all the Tae Kwon Do techniques. The selected adolescents were all within the age range of 18.10±1.37 for the females and 18.63 ± 1.92 for the males. In order to understand the sexual dimorphism reflected during physical activities, the researchers concentrated on flexibility, muscular strength, endurance, heart rates, explosive leg power and aerobic fitness.
The subjects were therefore asked to engage in different activities that ere meant to assess the response from each of the subjects by measuring the outcomes from each of the activities. In testing the explosive leg power, the teenagers were asked to jump and although the boys registered greater heights than the females the difference reduced when height of each member was used to scale the jump height. In the muscular endurance assessment, there was no significant difference since the girls did equally well as the boys in the push ups and the sit ups.
Although the boys showed some significant endurance as compared to the girls, the overall difference was quite small. Despite the influence of tae kwon do exercises on the level of endurance, the researchers discovered that sexual dimorphism can also be investigated in recreationally active adolescents. Although the girls seemed to match the fitness of the men, the men were slightly stronger and they showed some endurance than the female. Tae Kwon Do and other forms of martial arts can therefore be used to enhance body fitness and to increase metabolism. The martial arts can therefore be recommended as a fitness program since they improve the level of endurance and increases muscular strength.
Introduction
The following article provides information about the influence of martial arts, and especially tae kwon do in understanding the aerobic and anaerobic metabolisms among adolescents. Under the athletics, there is the martial art, which has been associated with self defence, but has recently been investigated for its contribution to both aerobic and anaerobic metabolisms
Statement of the Problem
There has been a controversy on the usefulness of martial arts, and especially Tae Kwon Do, in promoting both aerobic and anaerobic powers. While the martial art instructors claim that the art is very effective for enhancing body fitness, there are questions over whether the art promotes both aerobic and anaerobic powers, or whether it promotes only one of the powers.
According to a research conducted by Melhim (2001), Tae Kwon Do cannot be accepted as a total fitness program as it has been previously promoted by the Tae Kwon Do masters. The martial art, which is characterised by fast kicks and punches, was developed in Korea, and it has been promoted in many other regions across the world.
Upon completing the activities, the researcher analysed the responses and found that contrary to the claims by the trainers that tae kwon do is a total fitness program, the program only promoted anaerobic power and capacity but not aerobic. This means that those practising tae kwon do relied heavily on the anaerobic activities and have significantly lesser aerobic activities. Based on the research by Melhim, tae kwon do, and other forms of martial arts cannot be used as comprehensive fitness program since they rely more on anaerobic metabolisms. In conclusion, both studies demonstrate the effectiveness of physical exercises, especially from recreational activities.
References
Melhim, A. (2001). Aerobic and anaerobic power responses to the practice of taekwon-do. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 1(35), 231-234
Noorul, H., Pieter, W., & Erie, Z. (2008). Physical fitness of recreational adolescent taekwondo. Brazilian Journal of Biomotricity, (2), 230-240.
