Influence of Anthropometric Characteristics and Muscle Performance on Punch Impact

Despite the known relevance of punch impact in boxing, limited evidence exists regarding how anthropometric and muscle performance variables contribute to it. This study investigated the relationship between anthropometric characteristics, muscle power and strength performance, and punch impact power in 69 boxing practitioners (mean ± SD age: 27.0 ± 6.1 years). Anthropometric variables (body height (BH), armspan (AS), body mass (BM)) and muscle power and strength tests (countermovement jump (CMJ), one repetition maximum in bench press (1RM BP), and handgrip strength (HS)) were assessed. Punch impact power was assessed with PowerKube (PK), a specific device designed to measure punch impact power. Punch impact power was positively correlated with BH, AS, and BM. Linear regression indicated that BH and AS explained about 36% of the variance in Straight punch impact power and 30-34% in Hook punch impact power. BM showed weaker predictive capacity, explaining 10% of the variance in Straight punch impact power and 11% in Hook punch impact power. When comparing punch impact power differences across groups with varying BH, AS, and BM, it was found that groups with High BH exhibited higher punch impact power than the groups with Low and Medium BH for both Straight and Hook punches. For AS, the High AS group also demonstrated higher punch impact power, with similar trends for BM, where significant differences were observed only between the High and Low BM groups. Additionally, our findings confirm significant relationships between anthropometric characteristics, muscle power, and strength performance. These findings highlight the importance of a comprehensive assessment of anthropometric profiles, alongside muscle power and strength evaluations, to better predict punch impact power. This approach provides valuable insights for boxing training and may also inform exercise programming for the general population.