Effects of eight weeks incremental elastic resistance training on roundhouse kick quality and physical performance in Taekwondo athletes in a randomized controlled trial

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of an 8-week incremental elastic-resistance kick training program on roundhouse kick performance and physical fitness in youth Taekwondo athletes, compared to conventional training methods. A two-group parallel, randomized, quasi-experimental design was employed, dividing participants into an experimental group (n = 11, age: 15.5 ± 1.6 years, stature: 171.6 ± 9.6 cm, body mass: 59.2 ± 15.0 kg; training experience: 8.3 ± 1.9 y) and a control group (n = 10, age: 14.8 ± 1.1 years, stature: 164.0 ± 7.2 cm, body mass: 51.9 ± 12.8 kg; training experience: 7.5 ± 1.3 y). Both groups tailored training regimens integrated with their regular Taekwondo practice. The study assessed multiple performance metrics, including roundhouse kick average velocity, impact scoring, isometric muscle strength, countermovement jump performance, and simple reaction times. The findings indicate that elastic resistance training significantly enhances Roundhouse Kick average velocity and impact scoring while also improving specific physical fitness attributes. This study contributes to understanding the role of ER training in combat sports and provides insights into optimizing Taekwondo training regimens.