THERMAL SCIENCE

International Scientific Journal

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THERMAL ENERGY METABOLISM IN TRADITIONAL MARTIAL ARTS TRAINING

ABSTRACT
This study focuses on the characteristics of thermal energy metabolism in traditional martial arts training, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for scientific training. One hundred thirty-five conventional martial arts practitioners were selected and di­vided into three groups: Tai Chi, Shaolin, and Xingyiquan. The study was conducted through a combination of experiments and simulations. Data were collected using a variety of specialized equipment. A thermal energy metabolism model was constructed based on the law of conservation of energy, and simulations were performed using MATLAB. The results showed that the model accurately predicted the thermal energy metabolism characteristics of different martial arts styles and training intensities, with an error of less than 5%. The α coefficients were derived via linear regression of oxygen uptake and lactate data from 10 standardized routines (R2=0.92), with higher α values linked to explosive movement frequency (Shaolin: 25 movements per minute vs. Tai Chi: 10 per minute). Within-style fitness adjustments were added: competitive practitioners (≥5 years training) have α increased by 0.1 to reflect higher anaerobic capacity. Error breakdown: Tai Chi (1.7%), Shaolin (3.9%), Xingyiquan (2.8%), aligning with intensity complexity. Gender-specific validation showed female error (3.1%) vs. male (2.5%), with muscle conductivity adjusted to 0.38 W/m°C for females, ensuring robustness. This study clarified the characteristics of heat generation, consumption, and transfer and dissipation in different martial arts styles, providing a reference for optimizing training programs.
KEYWORDS
PAPER SUBMITTED: 2025-06-11
PAPER REVISED: 2025-07-24
PAPER ACCEPTED: 2025-08-25
PUBLISHED ONLINE: 2025-11-29
DOI REFERENCE: https://doi.org/10.2298/TSCI2506327C
CITATION EXPORT: view in browser or download as text file
THERMAL SCIENCE YEAR 2025, VOLUME 29, ISSUE No. 6, PAGES [4327 - 4335]
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© 2026 Society of Thermal Engineers of Serbia. Published by the Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International licence