Capoeira: hypothesis on health rehabilitation and quality-of-life maintenance

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this work was to present hypotheses supporting capoeira as an activity aimed at health rehabilitation and maintenance of quality of life. METHODS: Capoeira players (n=245), residing in Brazil and abroad, were evaluated for quality of life (physical, social, psychological, and environmental domains from WHOQOL-bref). The capoeira players’ quality of life scores were compared to normative values and reference values in martial arts. Besides, studies involving capoeira (Medline/Embase/Cinahl/SportDiscus) were also reviewed for health-related hypotheses, describing population, intervention, comparator, and outcome. RESULTS: There are hypotheses on capoeira improving health through (1) body composition, addressed by two studies investigating waist circumference, bone, and muscle mass; (2) functional capacity, investigated by three studies considering performance variables; (3) metabolism, in two studies demonstrating triglycerides and blood glucose reduction, and an enhancement of anaerobic glycolysis; and (4) cardiovascular parameters, addressed by two studies highlighting an increase in maximal oxygen consumption, heart rate, and rate of pressure product reduction, as well as an increase in parasympathetic activity at rest. The sample of this study had higher quality of life scores when compared to normative values for Brazilians, similar quality of life when it comes to social relationships, higher quality of life in the psychological and environmental domains, and lower quality of life in the physical domain when compared to practitioners of other combat sports/martial arts. CONCLUSION: An analysis of the impacts of capoeira resulted in hypotheses on the rehabilitation of players’ biological health. Although the individuals were evaluated within the pandemic period, their quality of life domains were similar or superior to normative or reference values found by studies from before the pandemic.