Changes in Response Time in Elite Taekwon-Do Athletes and Wrestlers Resulting From Led Lighting Training

Introduction. Fighting effectiveness of combat sports athletes depends, among other factors, on response time. Athletes must react swiftly to various actions of their opponents during the combat. Understanding the determinants of response time can provide valuable insights and optimize the sports training process. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of Led Lighting Training (LLT) on response time of athletes representing extremely different combat sports. Material and Methods. Elite taekwon-do athletes aged 26.67 ± 7.79 years with training experience of 13.67 ± 6.75 years, and elite wrestlers aged 26.0 ± 3.74 years with training experience of 13.0 ± 3.74 years, participated in the study. Each participant performed a 6-minute physical exertion requiring concentration and proper decision-making as part of LLT. It consisted of three two-minute motor tasks performed on Batak Lite. Response time was recorded during the exercise, with one-minute breaks between motor tasks. Results. Among taekwon-do athletes, the lowest level of response was noted during the first LLT task, whereas the highest was observed in the third task. Response time significantly improved with time of exertion among taekwon-do athletes, while it remained similar among wrestlers after 2, 4, and 6 minutes of the test. Only in the first round did taekwon-do athletes and wrestlers significantly differ in response time (p = 0.0025). Response time and training experience did not reveal a significant correlation. Conclusions. The specificity of training, which is determined by the specificity of combat, does not differentiate elite taekwon-do athletes and wrestlers based on their response abilities. Taekwon-do athletes should control the type and duration of warm-up exercises before combat.