The impact of fatigue on agility and responsiveness in boxing

Study aim: To assess the effects of fatigue on agility and responsiveness in boxing.

Material and methods: Agroup of 20 amateur boxers aged 14–45 years participated in the study. Ditrich’s test and acomputer test, both measuring the speed of reaction to avisual stimulus, as well as agility run and 4 × 10 m shuttle run with carrying blocks, both measuring agility, were performed. Running agility and reaction speed were measured at 3levels of fatigue expressed by the heart rates. The capacity to maintain the highest possible level of measured variables was assessed by applying the performance index (PI) (mean value of three or four (in the case of Ditrich’s test) repetitions to the maximum one). Student’s t-test for dependent data and Pearson’s correlation coefficients were used in data analysis, the level p ≤ 0.05 being considered significant.

Results: Both running agility and responsiveness markedly decreased with mounting fatigue, e.g. running speed from 1.73 ± 0.12 m/s to 1.55 ± 0.11 m/s.

Conclusion: Developing anaerobic endurance would markedly improve agility skills and speed of reaction to external stimuli. Measuring the performance index (PI) from short, maximal, repeated exertions spaced with constant intermissions may be a valuable tool in directing training activities towards development of selected elements of boxers’ physical fitness.