Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2025 Jan 8;13(1):12.
doi: 10.3390/sports13010012.

The Influence of Anthropometric Characteristics on Punch Impact

Manuel Pinto  1 , João Crisóstomo  1 , Gil Silva  1 , Luís Monteiro  1
Affiliations
Review

The Influence of Anthropometric Characteristics on Punch Impact

Manuel Pinto et al. Sports (Basel). .

Abstract

Objective: This review examined the influence of anthropometric characteristics, such as body height (BH) and body mass (BM), on the impact of punches in striking-combat sports. Despite their perceived importance for combat strategy, the relationship between these characteristics and punch impact remains unclear.

Methods: We included experimental, quasi-experimental and cross-sectional studies. The search was conducted on 30 August 2024, in three databases. The review analyzed 23 studies involving 381 participants (304 men, 30 women, 47 participants of unknown gender). Various instruments were used in the included studies, including ten instruments used to measure impact force and two instruments used to measure impact power.

Results: Impact force ranged from 989 ± 116.76 to 5008.6 ± 76.3 N, with rear-hand straight punches and rear-hand hooks producing the greatest force. The PowerKube, a device specifically designed to measure punch impact power, revealed that the rear-hand straight punch generated the highest power, ranging from 15,183.27 ± 4368.90 to 22,014 ± 1336 W. While higher BM categories were associated with stronger punches, BM alone was not the only predictor. Other factors, such as technique, gender, and sport type, also played roles. The relationship between BH and punch impact showed mixed results.

Conclusions: The data suggest that while higher BM categories are associated with greater punch impact, BM is not the only determining factor. The relationship between BH and impact also showed mixed results, with no clear association found. The review highlights the lack of a "gold standard" instrument for evaluating punch impact.

Keywords: anthropometric characteristics; combat sport; impact force; impact power; punch.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest with respect to the authorship or the publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart according to the PRISMA 2020 guidelines.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Highest impact force values by instrument. Note: Accelerometer and Load Cell = Target with an accelerometer and load cell inserted; Accelerometer and Gloves = Accelerometer inserted in the dummy’s head and the participants’ gloves; Tri-axial Accelerometers = Tri-axial accelerometers inserted in the dummy’s head; Specific Load Cell = Target with a load cell specific to boxing and force transducer; Load Cell in Wall Bag = Load cell inserted in the wall bag, with transducer and respective software; Load Cell in Target = Load cell inserted in the target, with transducer and respective software; Load Cell in Boxing Bag = Load cell inserted in the boxing bag, with transducer and respective software; Force Platform = Force platform with cushioned target; Boxing Bag with Load Cell and Gyroscope = Boxing bag with load cell and an inserted gyroscope transducer; Board with Load Cell = Target on a board with a lateral load cell, transducer, and respective software. BH: body height; BM: body mass; N/D: no description.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Lenetsky S., Harris N., Brughelli M. Assessment and contributors of punching forces in combat sports athletes: Implications for strength and conditioning. Strength Cond. J. 2013;35:1–7. doi: 10.1519/SSC.0b013e31828b6c12. - DOI
    1. Slimani M., Chaabène H., Davis P., Franchini E., Cheour F., Chamari K. Performance aspects and physiological responses in male amateur boxing competitions: A brief review. J. Strength Cond. Res. 2017;31:1132–1141. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001643. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Hristovski R., Davids K., Araújo D., Button C. How boxers decide to punch a target: Emergent behaviour in nonlinear dynamical movement systems. J. Sports Sci. Med. 2006;5:60. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Lenetsky S., Uthoff A., Coyne J., Cronin J. A review of striking force in full-contact combat sport athletes: Methods of assessment. Strength Cond. J. 2022;44:71–83. doi: 10.1519/SSC.0000000000000643. - DOI
    1. Davis P., Benson P.R., Waldock R., Connorton A.J. Performance analysis of elite female amateur boxers and comparison with their male counterparts. Int. J. Sports Physiol. Perform. 2016;11:55–60. doi: 10.1123/ijspp.2014-0133. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources