Anaerobic Power of the Upper and Lower Body in the National Korean Boxers

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore components of anaerobic power within the upper and lower body for Korean National Team boxers, and to understand the relationship between upper and lower body anaerobic power in the boxers. Twenty-six National Korean boxers volunteered for this study. The Wingate test was conducted for 30 seconds to measure anaerobic power, and to obtain the peak power and mean power measurements for the upper and lower body of the boxers. In looking at the peak power levels, the upper body peak power was higher than the lower body peak power in the Korean boxers. Findings revealed that the lower body mean power was higher than upper body mean power. Although the upper body peak power is more important for boxing, upper body peak power was correlated to lower body peak power (r = 0.516, p < 0.05) and lower body mean power (r = 0.485, p < 0.05). It was also found that upper body mean power was correlated to lower body mean power (r = 0.477, p < 0.05). From this, the indication is that maximizing the peak power of the upper body is contingent upon increasing the power from lower body’s anaerobic ability. This study in its practical application can help to identify which body parts need to be trained for the elite boxers; provides fundamental research that gives a direction for more effective boxing training strategies in order to establishes a standard of anaerobic power and establish the appropriateness of using the Wingate test as an effective tool for conducting anaerobic assessments.