This cross-sectional within-subject design study aimed to investigate the contribution of core muscles to punch speed and power among highly trained licensed boxers from a national team in North Cyprus.
From a biomechanical point of view, the high-impact force generated by the lower limbs in boxers is transferred through the stiff kinetic chain, which is stabilised by the core muscles to transform into a powerful punch in the upper extremity. Despite these essential functions, there is a lack of research on the effect of core muscles in boxing. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the contribution of core muscles in punching, and it was hypothesised that the endurance of trunk flexors, extensors, and lateral muscles on the dominant and non-dominant sides has a substantial contribution to punch speed and power in boxers.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
15
No intervention will be performed in this study.
Cyprus International University
Mersin, Lefkosa, Turkey (Türkiye)
Endurance of trunk flexor muscles
The athlete will be positioned on a flat surface. The tester will stabilise the feet while the hip and knee joints are placed at 90 degrees of flexion. The upper extremities will be crossed over the shoulders, bringing the trunk into approximately 60-degree flexion.
Time frame: 1 hour
Endurance of trunk extensor muscles
Subjects will lie prone with the lower body fixed to the test bed at the ankles, knees, and hips, and the upper body extended in a cantilevered fashion over the edge of the test bed. At the beginning of the exertion, the upper limbs will be held across the chest with the hands resting on the opposite shoulders, and the upper body will be lifted until the thoracic region is horizontal to the floor.
Time frame: 1 hour
Endurance of Lateral Trunk (Oblique) Muscles
Subjects will lie on an exercise mat on their sides with legs extended. The top foot will be placed in front of the lower foot on the mat for support. Subjects will be instructed to support themselves by lifting their hips off the mat to maintain a straight line over their whole body length, and support themselves on one elbow and their feet. The uninvolved arm will be held across the chest with the hand placed on the opposite shoulder.
Time frame: 1 hour
Evaluation of Punch Speed and Power
The rear direct punch type will be selected for the test. Punch speed and power will be tested using the Corner Accelerometer (Corner Wearables Ltd / UK), which has been found suitable for tracking punches. The devices will be fixed to both wrists of the boxers with Velcro and paired with the Corner mobile app via Bluetooth. Subjects will perform three rounds of shadow boxing using standard boxing gloves, with five minutes of rest between rounds for warm-up and device checking. Finally, the athletes will be asked to throw a total of five rear direct punches to the boxing bag using their dominant side, and the device will record the parameters of each punch separately and simultaneously, including speed in meters per second (m/sec) and power in gravitational force units (G-force). Of the five punches thrown, the fastest and most powerful will be selected for analysis.
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Time frame: 1 hour