Post-Activation Potentiation's Impact on Specialized Strike Strength in Elite Male Boxers: An Acute Study.

Objective

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of back squat (BS) and squat jump (SJ) on the maximum-striking strength and speed-striking strength of the jab and cross of elite male boxers, and to identify the time point of the post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) induced by these two activation methods.

Methods

A total of 29 Chinese male boxers were recruited to participate in four different intensities of muscle activation through BS and SJ exercises (BS50%, SJ50%, BS80%, SJ80%). The participants were tested on their jab and cross using specialized testing protocols at recovery intervals of 4, 8, 12, and 16 min (speed-striking strength testing was conducted first, followed by maximum-striking strength testing), and the maximum-striking strength and speed-striking strength of the athletes were recorded.

Results

(1) Maximum-striking strength: For the jab, the results indicated that there were significant differences between BS50% at 8 min and 12 min and the baseline (p < 0.01), and between SJ50% at 4, 8, and 12 min and the baseline (p < 0.01). BS80% showed significant differences at 12 min compared to baseline (p < 0.01), and the SJ80% exhibited significant differences at 8 min (p < 0.05) and 12 min (p < 0.01) compared to baseline. For the cross, BS50% demonstrated significant differences at 12 min compared to baseline (p < 0.01), and SJ50% showed significant differences at 8 min and 12 min (p < 0.01). Both BS80% and SJ80% revealed significant differences at 8, 12, and 16 min compared to baseline (p < 0.01). (2) Speed-striking strength: For the jab, there were no significant differences between BS50% and SJ50% at all time intervals compared to baseline (p > 0.05). BS80% showed a significant difference at 4 min compared to baseline (p < 0.05), and SJ80% exhibited significant differences at 12 min compared to baseline (p < 0.01). For the cross, there were no significant differences between BS50%, SJ50%, and BS80% at all time intervals compared to baseline (p > 0.05), while SJ80% demonstrated significant differences at 8 min and 12 min compared to between (p < 0.01). The results showed that PAPE significantly enhanced maximum punch force at 8-12 min across several activation conditions. In contrast, improvements in speed-striking force were only observed following high-load squat jump (SJ at 80% 1 RM), with significant increases at 8 min for the cross and at 12 min for the jab, whereas BS or lower-load SJ produced no meaningful changes.

Conclusions

PAPE activation significantly enhances the striking force of boxers at the recovery interval of 12 min, but the effect is influenced by the intensity and method of activation. High-load activation can enhance the striking strength of boxers more rapidly and sustainably, and high-load SJ are more beneficial for the speed-striking strength of boxers.