INTRODUCTION: Amateur boxing is a high-intensity intermittent combat sport, which results in the accumulation of sub-concussive head impacts during competition. It has been debated in a number of combat and collisions sports that the result of repetitive head impact exposure is associated with long term neurodegeneration. There is currently a gap in understanding the relationship between head impacts and neurological function due to a lack of quantification of forces that individuals are exposed to in competition. This study aimed to characterize impact exposure and the associated injury metrics of amateur male and female international boxers during an Olympic qualifying competition via an instrumented mouthguard monitoring system. METHODS: Thirteen amateur international Olympic boxers took part in an Olympic qualifying event (29.8±5.5 yrs, 1.79±0.03 m, 70.5±11.9 kg). Head accelerations were measured using the PROTECHT instrumented mouthguard (IMG) system (Sports & Wellbeing Analytics, UK). Linear and angular acceleration signals were filtered using a zero-phase lag 4th order Butterworth filter, with a low-pass cut-off frequency of 160 Hz. Head impact accelerations were compared across impact events, rounds, weight class and sex. Impacts were video-verified and classified according to event (jab, hook, movement, overhand and uppercut) and location (head and body). Multi-level linear models compared peak linear acceleration (PLA) and peak rotational acceleration (PRA) head impact values across striking events (jab, hook, movement, overhand and uppercut), rounds (1-3), weight class (light, middle and heavy) and sex (male v female). RESULTS: IMG data was collected from 15 bouts and 45 rounds. A total of 1542 head impacts were identified and video verified, with mean values of 24.0±12.3 g and 2411±1627 for PLA and PRA. No differences were observed across sex or weight for PLA and PRA values (p > 0.05). Significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed between linear acceleration for striking events jab and hooks when compared to overhands (p < 0.05), but no differences were observed rotationally (p > 0.05). Head acceleration impacts recorded in rounds and bouts were 33±16 and 94±44, but no round or bout differences were observed across sex or weight categories (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Characterisation of impact exposure identified no differences between male or female athletes or different weight categories. The overhand attributed higher linear intensity values compared with the jab and hook. Though no significant the female cohort and lighter weight cohorts attained greater impact volumes than the male and heavier cohorts, whereas the male and heavier cohorts attained greater striking magnitudes. The results provide the first evidence of head impact exposure of amateur international Olympic boxers in competition.
© Copyright 2022 27th Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science (ECSS), Sevilla, 30. Aug - 2. Sep 2022. Julkaistu Tekijä Faculty of Sport Science - Universidad Pablo de Olavide. Kaikki oikeudet pidätetään. / Kääntänyt https://www.DeepL.com/Translator