Bio-psychological outcomes of self-defense courses with varying levels of aerobic training intensity

Abstract

Introduction & Purpose

Self-defense courses can promote physical and mental health (Ciaccioni et al., 2025) and may serve as therapeutic modalities/adjunctive therapies. For customization and optimization, it must be understood which components of such courses improve specific aspects of physical and mental health.

The aim of the present project was the development of self-defense courses with different fitness components to study the role of exercise intensity in the promotion of health-related physical and psychological outcomes.

Methods

Protocols for self-defense courses (containing an intensive exercise component (SD-HIT, 2 sessions) or not (SD-LIT, 1 session)) were tested in a pilot study on healthy young adult women. Fitness components focused on agility, while many of the self-defence exercises involved escapes from wrist locks and similar, potentially strengthening grip strength. Before and after the intervention, heart rate, blood pressure, agility (simplified burpees) and grip strength were assessed and questionnaires on psychological aspects were used (resilience, subjective mental stress, quality of life and interoceptive regulation strategies). Perceived stress (visual analog scale) was measured directly before and after the courses (Hösl et al., 2024). Descriptive statistics and mixed ANOVAs (if compared groups were normally distributed; tested by Shapiro-Wilks tests) were calculated in Excel and Jamovi.

Preliminary results

Participants were assigned to the single-session SD-LIT group (n=4, 26.3±3.3 years), or SD-HIT sessions (n=9, 24.3±2.5 years). SD-LIT and SD-HIT focused on the same set of techniques to prevent or escape from physical aggression, with SD-HIT using physically challenging exercises and including various fitness components. Most participants improved in agility and felt less stressed according to the visual analog scale, all without apparent differences between SD-LIT and SD-HIT. Both SD-LIT and SD-HIT were perceived as useful and helpful in situations requiring to defend oneself, the latter even more in SD-LIT. No differences were observed for grip strength.

Discussion and preliminary results of literature research

SD-LIT and SD-HIT were successfully implemented and both were perceived as useful. No differences in immediate performance or psychological outcomes were observed for the 2 interventions. Other psychological parameters assessed by the questionnaires are currently being assessed.

Limitations of the current pilot study (low number of participants and sessions, convenience allocation according to time availability of participants) will be addressed in follow up studies on sociocultural aspects and potential benefits for underprivileged groups, such as female migrants, for whom such effects may lead to better social and cultural well-being and inclusion (Ciaccioni et al., 2025).

Conclusion

The developed protocols were well accepted and will be used as a basis for developing a research framework for the evaluation of self-defense programs regarding bio-psycho-socio-cultural factors in migrants.

References

Ciaccioni, S., Lee, Y., Guidotti, F., Stankovic, N., Pocecco, E., Izzicupo, P., & Capranica, L. (2025). Combat sports and wellbeing: advancing health and inclusion in athletes and practitioners. An opinion paper [Opinion]. Frontiers in Psychology, Volume 16 - 2025. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1587672

Hösl, B., Niedermeier, M., & Kopp, M. (2024). Expectation manipulation shows no additional benefit on students’ post-exercise stress perception–a randomized controlled online trial. Cogent Psychology, 11(1), 2429896.