Key result
Adding HIIT to boxing training boosts maximal voluntary ventilation by ~10 points vs conventional training.
Why the study?
The application of high-intensity interval training within boxing training and its effects on cardiorespiratory fitness and autonomic cardiovascular regulation remain underexplored.
Does supplementary high-intensity interval training improve pulmonary function and heart rate recovery in trained young male boxers?
RCT (n=16)
Single-blind
Computer-generated randomization sequence
No
Does supplementary high-intensity interval training improve pulmonary function and heart rate recovery in trained young male boxers?
Adding HIIT to conventional boxing training enhances ventilatory capacity and pulmonary function, though improvements in heart rate recovery and aerobic capacity were similar to conventional training alone.
Adding HIIT to boxing training may enhance ventilatory capacity in young male athletes; extends evidence for HIIT effects on pulmonary function.
BACKGROUND: High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been recognized for its effectiveness in enhancing cardiorespiratory fitness. However, the application of HIIT within boxing training remains underexplored. This study aimed to investigate the physiological adaptations induced by a structured 4-week HIIT-boxing regimen, with a specific focus on pulmonary function (PF), aerobic capacity, and autonomic cardiovascular regulation, assessed by heart rate recovery (HRR). METHODS: Sixteen trained young individuals were randomly assigned to either the HIIT-boxing group or the control group. Comprehensive assessments, including PF tests, peak oxygen uptake, and HRR at the 1st, 3rd, and 5th minutes postexercise, were conducted pre- and post-intervention. RESULTS: Significant improvements were observed in maximal voluntary ventilation, forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), and peak expiratory flow over time (P < .01), while the FEV1/FVC ratio remained unchanged (P = .244). Time-by-group interactions revealed greater improvements in maximal voluntary ventilation (ηp2 = 0.817), FVC (ηp2 = 0.618), and FEV1 (ηp2 = 0.283) in the HIIT group than in the control group. Although estimated estimated maximal oxygen uptake improved significantly over time (P < .001), no significant group effect or time-by-group interaction was observed. HRR improved significantly over time in both groups (P < .001), with no significant time-by-group interaction observed at any measured interval (P > .05). CONCLUSION: Supplementing conventional boxing training with HIIT may serve as a useful strategy for enhancing selected PF parameters in combat sports athletes. However, because the HIIT group performed a greater total training volume, the observed improvements cannot be definitively attributed to HIIT independently of the increased training stimulus.
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Çinarli et al. (2026) conducted an RCT in Healthy trained young male boxers (n=16). High-intensity interval training (HIIT) vs. Conventional boxing training alone was evaluated on Maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV) (MD 9.97, 95% CI 5.62-14.32, p=<0.001). Supplementing conventional boxing training with high-intensity interval training significantly improved maximal voluntary ventilation (MD 9.97) compared to conventional training alone.
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