A Neuroscientific Study on Kendo Players' Process from a Kamae Position to Strike

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25350748
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Sports science
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: KODA Kunihide 筑波大学, 体育系, 教授 (50186615)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): NISHIHIRA Yoshiaki 筑波大学, 体育系, 教授 (20156095) ; HATTA Arihiro 東海大学, 体育学部, 准教授 (20312837) ; ARITA Yuji 筑波大学, 体育系, 准教授 (70344877)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 剣道 / 筋緊張 / 筋電図反応時間 / P300 / N140電位 / NOGO電位 / 脳・運動神経系 / collision法

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aimed to detailed clarify changes in the pathways to the information-processing system of the brain of kendo players, as well as their motor nervous and muscular systems, by neuroscientifically examining players with long-term experience of continuously playing kendo using the P300, N140, and NOGO components of brain potentials, collision technique to measure the motor nerve conduction velocity, and electromyography. On comparison with individuals of the general public, kendo players were shown to need markedly less time to activate motor nerves in motor-related brain areas. Their maximum nerve conduction velocity peaked at 46 and 33 m/sec on the dominant and non-dominant sides, respectively. The results suggest the possibility of the maximum nerve conduction velocity changing due to the influence of training.

Free Research Field

剣道コーチング論