Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a grappling combat sport that has intermittency as its core element; in other words, actions of high, moderate and low intensity are interspersed during matches, requiring a high level of conditioning to support optimal levels of performance for the total match time. The athletes perform from four to six matches during a day of competition, and this number may increase if the open-class competition, which is held parallel to the competition by weight class, is considered. This systematic review examined the physical and physiological profiles of Brazilian jiu-jitsu athletes. Only scientific researches dealing with the major fitness components of Brazilian jiu-jitsu athletes (i.e. body composition and somatotype, aerobic and anaerobic profiles, muscular strength and power) and using accepted methods that provided relevant practical applications for a Brazilian jiu-jitsu athlete’s fitness training and/or performance were included in the current review. A computer literature search was carried out of the PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge, SportDiscus and Scopus databases (up to January 2016). The database research generated 205 articles. After the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, 58 studies were included for the present systematic review. A total of 1496 subjects were involved in all the selected investigations. Body fat is generally low for these athletes and the mesomorphic component is predominant. The different studies showed VO2max values between 42 and 52 mL/kg/min, and it seems that aerobic fitness does not discriminate among Brazilian jiu-jitsu athletes of different competitive levels. There is a lack of scientific studies that have investigated anaerobic responses both in lower and upper limbs. Maximal dynamic, isometric and endurance strength can be associated with sporting success in Brazilian jiu-jitsu athletes. Although decisive actions during Brazilian jiu-jitsu matches are mainly dependent on muscular power, more specific studies are necessary to describe it. Studies involving the female sex should be conducted. In addition, further research is needed to analyse whether there are differences between sex, belt ranks and competitive level, and among the different weight categories for different variables.

The present study aims at investigating the physiological response and technical-tactical parameters in Brazilian jiu-jitsu competition.The study included 35 male Brazilian jiu-jitsu athletes (adult category, body mass: 80.2 13.0 kg), graded from white to brown belt, during combats fought at regional level. Twenty-two fights were analyzed in terms of technique and time structure. Blood glucose, lactate and maximal isometric grip strength were determined before and after the fights. The rate of perceived exertion was also assessed after the fight, using the 6-20 Borg rating. The fights were recorded and the following variables were determined: the exertion/pause ratio and subjective intensity of actions, categorized between low and high intensity.The results indicated that during Brazilian jiu-jitsu fights, the glycolytic pathway is only moderately activated (lactate before: 4.4 (4.0 4.6) mmol/L, after: 10.1 (8.0 11.3) mmol/L; glucose before: 112.4 22.3 mg/dL, after: 130.5 31.0 mg/dL). The exertion during the fight resulted in significant reductions in handgrip strength (right hand grip before: 45.9 10.3 kgf, after: 40.1 9.5 kgf; left hand grip before: 44.2 11.1 kgf, after: 37.0 10.2 kgf). The athletes rated the fight as hard: 15 (13 15). Effort/pause ratio was 6:1, while high-intensity actions lasted approximately 4 s, resulting in a low/high intensity? ratio of 8:1.It is recommended that coaches direct the training loads to simulate the energy demand imposed by the competitive matches, activating moderately the glycolytic pathway. Moreover, the time structure of combats can be used to prescribe both physical and technical-tactical training.

The world is currently facing a serious coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). This novel coronavirus is a new virus for which effective drugs and vaccines have not yet been developed. Amateur and professional athletic events around the world have been stopped, and teams and athletes have had to adopt social withdrawal measures, interrupting their training and preparation routines for competitions. Given this alarming scenario, this article aims to alert athletes to the importance of maintaining a conditioning routine during this confinement period.