# Does Grappling Combat Sports Experience Influence Exercise Tolerance of Handgrip Muscles in the Severe-Intensity Domain?

## TL;DR

This study found that experience in grappling combat sports improves handgrip endurance during intense exercise, without affecting muscle fatigue levels.

## Contribution

The study reveals that grappling combat sports training enhances handgrip exercise tolerance and W′, independent of critical torque or fatigue changes.

## Key findings

- Grappling combat sports fighters showed greater W′ compared to untrained individuals.
- Fighters had higher exercise tolerance during severe-intensity handgrip exercise.
- No differences in critical torque or neuromuscular fatigue were observed between groups.

## Abstract

Successful performance in grappling combat sports (GCS) can be influenced by the fighter’s capacity to sustain high-intensity contractions of the handgrip muscles during combat. This study investigated the influence of GCS experience on the critical torque (CT), impulse above CT (W′), tolerance, and neuromuscular fatigue development during severe-intensity handgrip exercise by comparing fighters and untrained individuals. Eleven GCS fighters and twelve untrained individuals participated in three experimental sessions for handgrip muscles: (1) familiarization with the experimental procedures and strength assessment; (2) an all-out test to determine CT and W′; and (3) intermittent exercise performed in the severe-intensity domain (CT + 15%) until task failure. No significant differences were found in CT and neuromuscular fatigue between groups (p > 0.05). However, GCS fighters showed greater W′ (GCS fighters 2238.8 ± 581.2 N·m·s vs. untrained 1670.4 ± 680.6 N·m·s, p < 0.05) and exercise tolerance (GCS fighters 8.38 ± 2.93 min vs. untrained 5.36 ± 1.42 min, p < 0.05) than untrained individuals. These results suggest that long-term GCS sports training can promote increased tolerance to severe-intensity handgrip exercise and improved W′ without changes in CT or the magnitude of neuromuscular fatigue.