Heart rate response to taekwondo forms and technique combinations. A pilot study.

The telemetered exercise and recovery heart rates of seven male recreational taekwondo students were recorded while they were performing two different beginner's forms (one with only arm techniques and one with both arm and leg techniques) and two sets of technique combinations, one set consisting of only kicks and the other of kicks and punches. No significant differences were found between the two forms or between the two sets of combinations. Significant differences were observed, however, between the forms on the one hand and the combinations on the other: the combinations elicited higher exercise heart rates than the forms. The exercise heart rate for both forms was 80% of the age-predicted maximal heart rate, while that of the combinations was between 90 and 91% of the age-predicted maximal heart rate. The recovery heart rates expressed as a percentage of the age-predicted maximal heart rate, yielded 64-67% for the forms and 73% for both combinations.