Sport-Specific Repeated Sprint Training Improves Punching Ability and Upper-Body Aerobic Power in Experienced Amateur Boxers

Abstract

Kamandulis, S, Bruzas, V, Mockus, P, Stasiulis, A, Snieckus, A, and Venckunas, T. Sport-specific repeated sprint training improves punching ability and upper-body aerobic power in experienced amateur boxers. J Strength Cond Res 32(5): 1214-1221, 2018-High-intensity interval training improves endurance and performance, but it is unclear whether sprint-type upper-body interval training is similarly effective. This study explored the effects of 4-week sport-specific sprint interval training on punch characteristics and endurance capacity in boxers. Experienced male amateur boxers (n = 18) participated in this 4-week training study and were divided into an experimental group (EG) and a control group (CG) (n = 9 per group). Both groups completed standard low-intensity training. The EG also completed 3 rounds (14 sets of 3-second all-out punching with a 10-second rest) of a simulated fight using a punching bag with a 1-minute rest between rounds 3 times per week, whereas the CG performed the same 3 rounds of a simulated fight at low intensity. Three rounds of 14 sets of 3-second all-out punching of a bag ergometer with a 10-second rest were performed to measure punching abilities. Peak oxygen consumption and peak power were measured during progressive arm cranking before and after training. In response to training peak oxygen consumption and peak power in arm-cranking test increased in EG, also punching force increased and maintenance of punching frequency and punch force improved during the simulated fight, which resulted in greater cumulative force throughout the 3 rounds. There were no changes in the CG. The study shows that 1 month of all-out punching training (3 sessions per week with ∼2 minutes of all-out punching per session) improved both upper-body aerobic power and punching abilities in experienced amateur boxers.

High-intensity interval training improves specific performance in taekwondo athletes

“…Concerning anaerobic power and capacity, training protocols lasting between four and 8weeks and reporting increased peak and mean power in the Wingate test in the experimental groups compared to control groups (Farzad et al, 2011;Franchini et al, 2016b;Kim et al;Monks et al, 2017). However, only the studies of Franchini et al (2016a) and Kamandulis et al, (2018) used a combat sport-specific training and testing protocols, in an investigation with judo and boxing athletes, respectively. Thus, the main contribution of the present study was to provide evidence that a taekwondo-specific HIIT protocol was able to increase performance measured with FSKT in only 4-weeks.…”

“…Taekwondo scoring actions are characterized by short-duration and high-intensity efforts, totaling approximately 15s of attack time per round and 47s of attack time in three rounds. However, studies investigating Hight Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) in combat sports used running as exercise mode (Franchini, Cormack, & Takito, 2019), and only two studies used combat sport-specific actions during this type of exercise (Franchini et al, 2016a;Kamandulis et al, 2018). Moreover, investigations about HIIT in combat sports used longer stimuli duration (i.e.,>30s) (Franchini et al, 2019) compared to the typical taekwondo scoring action or the typical effortpause ratio observed in taekwondo matches (Bridge, Jones, & Drust, 2011;Bridge, McNaughton, Close, & Drust, 2013).…”

“…However, only two studies (Franchini et al, 2016b;| 6 Rev. Artes Marciales Asiát., 15(1), 4-13 ~ 2020 Kamandulis et al, 2018) investigated the effects of combat sports-specific movement during HIIT in the physical performance. It has been shown that, in judo, a 4-week HIIT protocol using sportspecific techniques (uchi-komi) resulted in positive effects in peak power in upper and lower-body (Franchini et al, 2016b), in addition to showing improvements in a specific judo test called of "Special Judo Fitness Test" (Franchini et al, 2016a).…”

“…It has been shown that, in judo, a 4-week HIIT protocol using sportspecific techniques (uchi-komi) resulted in positive effects in peak power in upper and lower-body (Franchini et al, 2016b), in addition to showing improvements in a specific judo test called of "Special Judo Fitness Test" (Franchini et al, 2016a). In boxing, Kamandulis et al, (2018) demonstrated that 4-week of HIIT using a specific protocol "all-out", that is, maximum effort over a period of time (3 rounds of 14 sets of 3-s all-out punching bag with 10-s rest between sets and 1min between rounds) resulted in increased peak oxygen consumption and peak power in a progressive arm-cranking test. During the simulated boxing match, they observed improved punching force and punching frequency maintenance for the experimental group compared to a control group.…”

Specific wushu sanda high-intensity interval training protocol improved physical fitness of amateur athletes’: A pilot study

“…Regarding HIIT training for striking-type combat sports, Kamandulis et al (2018) a simulated fight composed by three rounds (14 sets of 3s all-out punching with 10s rest) against a punching bag. After 4-weeks of training thrice a week upper-body aerobic power and punching abilities were improved in amateur boxers.…”