A study was performed to evaluate the physical exercise characteristics of 29 Japanese elite judo athletes by treadmill exercise test. Functional aerobic impairment (FAI), heart rate impairment (HRI) and peripheral circulatory impairment (PCI) in the judo athletes were not significantly different from those of normal sedentary subjects. However, myocardial aerobic impairment (MAI) was lower than in normal sedentary subjects. %VO₂max at the anaerobic threshold (AT) was 57.5±3.3% in male, and 57.0±4.3% in female judo athletes. %HRmax at AT was 72.4±3.8% in males, and 75.2±5.3% in females.
These findings suggest that functional aerobic capacity and peripheral circulatory function in Japanese elite judo athletes are not significantly different from those of normal sedentary subjects, but that judo athletes have high left ventricular function.
The blood biochemical profile and urinalysis date revealed that values of muscle injury enzymes, plasma uric acid and cholesterol were increased with relatively high freqency in elite judo athletes. Similar data were also obtained in individuals with suspected diabetic nephropathy and rhabdomyolysis.