Background Taekwondo involves dynamic kicking and intermittent high-intensity efforts; the quantitative effects of training and supplementation on sport-specific outcomes remain unclear. Objective To systematically quantify the effects of exercise training and nutritional supplementation on taekwondo-specific performance indicators—TSAT, FSKT (10-s and multiple-bout), CMJ, VO 2 max, and heart-rate indices (HRmean, HRmax, HRpeak) —and to explore potential moderators. Methods A PRISMA-guided systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis (SMD, 95% CI) were conducted on randomized or quasi-experimental studies involving taekwondo athletes. Risk of bias was assessed using RoB 2. 0. Primary outcomes included TSAT and FSKT performance; secondary outcomes included CMJ, VO 2 max, and HR indices. Results Exercise training significantly improved TSAT (SMD = −0. 82; 95% CI: −1. 43 to −0. 21), FSKT-10s (SMD = 0. 82; 95% CI: 0. 15–1. 49), FSKT-mult (SMD = 0. 95; 95% CI: 0. 55–1. 35), and VO 2 max (SMD = 1. 54; 95% CI: 0. 58–2. 49) ; CMJ (SMD = 0. 21; 95% CI: −0. 02–0. 45) and HRmax (SMD = −0. 02; 95% CI: −0. 48–0. 44) showed no significant changes. Nutritional supplementation—especially caffeine—improved TSAT (SMD = −1. 41; 95% CI: −2. 24 to −0. 57), FSKT-10s (SMD = 1. 82; 95% CI: 1. 08–2. 57), FSKT-mult (SMD = 1. 67; 95% CI: 0. 72–2. 62), and VO 2 max (SMD = 0. 95; 95% CI: 0. 60–1. 31), with no effect on HRₘean (SMD = 0. 10; 95% CI: −0. 28–0. 47) or HRpeak (SMD = 0. 28; 95% CI: −0. 46–1. 02). Conclusion Both exercise training and nutritional supplementation significantly improve agility, repeated-kick performance, and aerobic capacity in taekwondo athletes. Nevertheless, the findings should be generalized cautiously due to the observed heterogeneity. Future well-designed, adequately powered randomized controlled trials with standardized protocols are warranted. Systematic review registration Identifier: CRD420251007058.
Chen et al. (2025) studied this question.