Citation

Davis P, Benson PR, Waldock R, Connorton AJ. Int. J. Sports Physiol. Perform. 2015; 11(1): 55-60.

Affiliation

Combat Sports Performance, Braintree, Essex, United Kingdom.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Human Kinetics Publishers)

DOI

10.1123/ijspp.2014-0133

PMID

25933441

Abstract

Female boxing debuted at the 2012 London Olympic Games. In order to better understand the performance aspects of the sport, video footage of 18 4x2min bouts were analysed. The boxers involved in the competition were of an elite level (mean±SD) 26.4±4.6 yrs old, 169.3±6.2 cm tall and 60.3±10.0 kg heavy. Analysis revealed an activity rate of ~1.6 actions per second, including ~16 punches, ~3.3 defensive movements and ~63 vertical hip movements all per minute, over the 4x~132s rounds (R). A 2x4 (outcome x round) ANOVA with repeated measures over the rounds was used to analyse the data. Winners maintained a higher activity rate in R1 and R2, a higher movement rate in R2, R3 and R4 and an increased punch accuracy including; the ratio of total punches to punches landed in R3 and air punches as a percentage of punches missed in R1 and R3. Specific techniques that discriminate between successful and unsuccessful female amateur boxers include; the straight rear hand and body punches, higher for winners in R1, as well as uppercut punches and defensive foot movements, higher for winners in R4.

FINDINGS highlight the current demands of elite amateur female boxing. This data will be useful for those designing training programs and may also be useful for guiding sport specific fitness testing.

Language: en