Striking? Breath and Grip.
- Laurent A
- Nov 17, 2024
- 3 min read
Elite combat sport athletes seem to possess stronger overall upper-body and greater aerobic and anaerobic capacities.
Early 2000’s, Italian researchers examined, within the middleweight class, if there were any physiological factors common to the best ranking boxers in competition.
And, indeed, this study found that there were two basic factors related to boxing performance: the first was physical fitness, indicated as oxygen intake (VO2max) and a high anaerobic threshold. The second trait was an upper body muscular strength demonstrated by hand-grip strength.
Respiration and VO2 Max
There are two forms of cellular respiration: aerobic, a process that uses oxygen, and anaerobic, a process that doesn't use oxygen.
Anaerobic energy is generated only with glucose – sugar. It is quick and easy for your body to access it. When you push yourself in training or in the ring, anaerobic respiration acts as a supercharged boost of energy… but it can also create, for instance, muscles ache or shortness of breath, abundant sweating or even nausea.
Once you warm up, you get to a cruise control state, and that’s when your aerobic respiration kicks in: you breathe is deeper, calmer and better regulated.
VO2 Max — or your oxygen uptake — shows how much oxygen your body absorbs and uses while working out. V is for volume, O2 is for oxygen and max is for maximum.
During exercise, the body uses oxygen and produces carbon dioxide, which is let out as you breathe. Having a higher VO2 max number typically means you’re in good cardiovascular shape. There isn’t one golden number for each person, but professional athletes tend to have a higher VO2 max number.
VO2 max is typically measured in milliliters of oxygen consumed in a minute per kilogram of body weight (mL/kg/min).
Here are VO2 max averages for men 18 to 45 years old, based on activity level:
Activity level | Average VO2 max |
Sedentary | 35-40 mL/kg/min |
Active | 42.5-46.4 mL/kg/min |
Very active | ≤ 85 mL/kg/min |
Here are VO2 max averages for women 18 to 45 years old, based on activity level:
Activity level | Average VO2 max |
Sedentary | 27-30 mL/kg/min |
Active | 33.0-36.9 mL/kg/min |
Very active | ≤ 77 mL/kg/min |
Upper body muscular strength
The second determinant physiological factor, common to the best ranking boxers in competition performance, is high hand-grip strength.
Research has shown that grip strength is associated with several health indicators, including mobility, overall strength, cognitive function, bone mineral density and heart health (remember, “Having a higher VO2 max number typically means you’re in good cardiovascular shape.”)
For instance, a study of 140,000 people showed that decreased grip strength was associated with measures of heart health. Hand-grip strength is strongly associated with boxing performance, whereas muscles in upper arms and forearm were not.
Hand grip strength tester, measured with a dynamometer, depends on strength of arm and shoulder muscles – more than upper arm and forearm.
Several tests on muscles involved in boxing movements showed that different muscles - deltoids, triceps, trapezius and dentate - were activated depending on type of punches; and trapezius was the most active while triceps the least.
In the following paper (1), 22 Mexican high-performance fighters were studied by body weight divisions (lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight) and their strength was assessed by training phase (preparation and competition).
The study focused on the gripping strength in both hands as an indirect indicator of upper limb strength. Here are two findings:
At the Middleweight division all the studied variables tended to show that its boxers were better trained concerning upper limb strength.
Significant statistic difference in hand grips strength between the Lightweight, Middleweight and Heavyweight divisions, showed the importance of studying this variable in boxers by divisions.
Finally, here is a hand-grip strength values comparison in both hands across different boxers’ nationalities:
(1) “Assessment of hand grip strength in Mexican boxers by training phase”, Carlos M. Ramírez García1ABCDE, Jan Harasymowicz2ACD, Julieta Aréchiga Viramontes3ACD, Ildefonso Alvear Órdenes1ABC, Francisco Bonilla Vázquez4BCE. Published online: 22 February 2010
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