The effects of 4 weeks of sport-specific repeated sprint training on upper-body strength quality, anaerobic capacity and punching ability of elite male boxers
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22220725 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Tan Tian (Wuhan Sports University), Yongjie Niu (Ningde Normal University), Shanjun Bao (Wuhan Sports University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 8 |
| Pages | 1839505-1839505 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-23 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Sports and Active Living (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2624-9367 • E-ISSN: 2624-9367 |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/fspor.2026.1839505 |
| PMID | 42416338 |
| OpenAlex | W7165682862 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 30 |
Background Repeated sprint training (RST) effectively enhances lower-body performance, yet its effects on upper-body strength and sport-specific punching ability in boxers remain poorly understood. Purpose To investigate the effects of a 4-week boxing-specific repeated sprint training intervention on upper-body strength, anaerobic capacity, and punching ability in elite male boxers. Methods Sixteen elite male boxers were randomly assigned to an experimental group (EG, n = 8) or a control group (CG, n = 8). The EG performed three weekly sessions of all-out, sport-specific RST (14 sets of 3 s maximal heavy-bag punches, 10 s rest between sets, 1 min rest between rounds) in addition to conventional training, while the CG continued conventional training only. Upper-body strength (bench press mean propulsive power, MPP), anaerobic capacity (upper-body Wingate peak and mean power), and punching ability (peak punch velocity, total punches in 30 s, mean punch velocity) were assessed before and after the 4-week intervention. Results The EG showed large within-group improvements in Wingate peak power ( d = 1.10, +16.7%) and mean power ( d = 1.14, +20.6%), with large between-group effect sizes post-intervention (peak power: d = 1.60; mean power: d = 1.61). Bench press MPP increased substantially within the EG ( d = 1.15, +20.4%), and although the between-group difference did not reach statistical significance ( p = 0.059), the effect size was large ( d = 1.03). The EG also exhibited large within-group improvements in peak punch velocity ( d = 1.13, +7.3%), total punches ( d = 1.15, +16.8%), and mean punch velocity ( d = 1.35, +14.9%). The between-group difference in total punches was not significant ( p = 0.074) but corresponded to a large effect size ( d = 0.97). Conclusion Incorporating three weekly sessions of boxing-specific RST into conventional training over 4 weeks significantly improved upper-body anaerobic capacity and produced practically meaningful enhancements in explosive strength and punching endurance in elite male boxers
Anaerobic exercise · Bench press · Punching · Rest (music) · Sprint · Statistical significance · Wingate test · Martial Arts: Techniques, Psychology, and Education · Sports injuries and prevention · Sports Performance and Training
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| Highly cited | No |
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