Memory, personality and blood lactate during a judo competition

Purpose: In the last decades, several studies have been conducted on a particular martial art, judo, to evaluate performances and psychology of its athletes. In the present study, to investigate other possible variables, we analyzed, in adult athletes of both sexes practicing judo from at least 5 years, the relation between blood lactate levels and short-term memory. Methods: Furthermore, in all subjects we evaluated personality’s aspects with the Sensation Seeking Scale V, the amount of stress with the Mesure du Stress Psychologique and the ratio between the second (index) and fourth (ring) finger. Participants in the research were 217 adult athletes practicing judo from at least 5 years. The research protocol was divided in two parts: (1) administration to each participant of SSS-V and MSP and measurement of Digit ratio; (2) administration to 50 athletes performing a 5 min combat, a digit span test and evaluation of blood lactate in three moments: before the competition, just after the conclusion, and 10 min after the end. Results: Results showed, at the end of combat, an increase blood lactate above 4 mmol/l and an association between blood lactate levels and backward memory capacity, with relevant correlation between SSS-V, MSP and the Digit ratio. Lactate production, even if minimal, has a protective role against fatigue toward frontal cortex and define worse performances in backward memory capacity by conditioning strategic ability of the athletes. Conclusion: We concluded that judo turns out to be a sport discipline useful to help women for manifesting disinhibition and their personality and men to control their aggressiveness and to try of overcoming their limits. These positive implications are more likely in individuals, both men and women, with a low digit ratio.