An Investigation into the Physiological Profiles of Muay Thai and the Relationships to Striking Performances

The purpose of this study was to observe and identify the physiological profiles of competitive Muay Thai athletes, to further understand what is required to be successful. Muay Thai bouts are set in differing formats, with timings of 3 x 2 minutes, 3 x 3 minutes or 3 x 5 minutes in duration dependant on weight category, fighter experience and tournament rules, with a 1-minute restorative period in between rounds. 24 Muay Thai fighters (21 males, 3 females; age: 26 years ± 6; stature: 1.75m ± 0.11; body mass: 76.30kg ± 16.22; body fat %: 12.88 ± 3.35), with a minimum of five years Muay Thai training and two years competitive experience (20 bouts ± 5) participated in the study. Participants completed a battery of physiological measurements, along with a series of strike performance measures. Correlation coefficients were used to assess the relationship between strike performance and physiological test performance. All striking performances apart from front hand Jab had a large correlation to pull ups, with back squats demonstrating both large and very large correlations with all strikes performed. Jab, rear hand cross and roundhouse strikes identified large correlations with reactive strength index. Right hook predictor variables are able to predict performance, F(6,17) = 4.754, p=0.005. The R² value (.792) suggests the model can explain 63% of the variance in right hook performance. Analysis of the coefficients showed the predictor variable of relative-bench press had a positive and significant influence on right hook impact power (B=2123.15, t = 2.402, p=0.028). Within the fight camp, fighters should be trained with a mixture of aerobic and anaerobic conditioning, with emphasis on strength and explosive strength.

This article has been accepted to be published in the Journal of Australian Strength and Conditioning.