This study aimed to analyse the effects of a simulated Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) tournament on vertical jump performance, grip strength test and perceived effort responses. 22 male BJJ athletes participated in a simulated tournament consisting of three 7 min matches separated by 14 min of rest. Kimono grip strength test (KGST), counter movement jump (CMJ) and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured before and after each match, while RPE of specific areas was assessed after three matches. ANOVA for repeated measures was used to compare strength parameters after each match with the level of significance set at 5%. The key results showed a significant decrease of jump height (p = 0.001) and net vertical impulse in the CMJ (p = 0.031), as well as a reduction of the number of reps in the KGST (p < 0.001). A significant increase of RPE was found throughout the matches (p < 0.001). Considering the RPE in specific areas, no differences were observed between the upper and lower body (p = 0.743). We conclude that the BJJ simulated tournament generated a decrease of performance in both upper and lower limbs and provoked a progressive increase in the effort perception over the matches.
Keywords: Combat sports; fatigue; rate of perceived exertion; stretch-shortening cycle; vertical impulse.