VIB2102 Nutrition And Energy Balance In Exercise And Sports

Lai Weng Hong

U2005188

Semester 2, Session 2021/2022

University Malaya
 Introduction

Boxing or historically known as pugilism is one of the oldest combat sports that was discovered
back to approximately 3000 B.C in Egypt and 6000 B.C in Ethiopia. Its first appeared as Olympic
sports at the ancient Olympic Games in 688 B.C (Chaabène et al, 2015). Boxing was illegal back
in the days until a prizefighter named James Figg, popularized, and attracted public’s imagination
for crowning champion in 1719, his pupil Jack Broughton, is credited for advancing boxing rules
from bare knuckles to gloves (Hauser et al, 2021). England then legalized boxing due to its
popularity and enormous crowds’ support. Boxing can be categorized into amateur boxing and
professional boxing both are individual combat sports, amateur boxing binds to several rules, and
modification of bouts formula ranging from 3 rounds of 2 mins, 4 rounds of 2 mins, 3 rounds of 3
mins, and 4 rounds of 2 mins, by agreement of coaches and boxers (Chaabène et al, 2015). The
differences between amateur and professional boxing are boxing style where professional boxing
allows boxers to hit from the back and kidneys’ area, amateur boxing has prize pool whereas
professional boxer are paid through purse money which was agreed upon both teams, amateur
boxing binds with Amateur International Boxing Association (AIBA) rules and regulations while
professional boxing rules vary from different country, the maximum boxing rounds for amateur
are 3 but professional boxing can up to 12 rounds, and different scoring system used in both
amateur and professional boxing. In between the bouts, there are 1 minute rest intervals for boxers
to return to their corner to receive advises and attentions from their coaches and staffs, to have
some rest, fluids replenishment, and injury treatment. Boxers must fight each other until either one
was knocked out and could not get up by the count of 10 or subjected to technical knocked out
where boxer was deemed by the referee to be unable to defend himself properly. If no boxer was
knocked out throughout the set rounds, scoring method would be used by the judges to determine
the win, lose, or draw. During the match, boxers’ activity pattern is intermittent and short duration,
high intensity activity combining with low intensity pauses caused by boxer’s clinching or
referee’s interruption (Slimani et al, 2017). According to Delvecchio, 2011, a boxing match is
estimated to be mainly anaerobic about 70% to 80% and about 20% to 30% of aerobic. In this
context, amateur boxing will be used to discuss the energy metabolism and utilization of the boxer.
 Main Text

Amateur boxing is an intermittent activity that emphasize in short duration and high intensity. It
requires both aerobic and anaerobic energy system to produce energy throughout the rounds.
Hence, it used carbohydrates, particularly the muscle glycogen and blood glucose as the main
source of energy, it also uses fats, particularly the intramuscular triglycerides, adipose triglycerides,
and plasma free fatty acids.

In the beginning of the boxing match or after every round break, phosphagen system is
responsible to produce energy for the power stroke contraction. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is
broken down to form adenosine diphosphate (ADP) that binds with phosphate from the
phosphocreatine (PC) to generate energy. However, due to its limited storage within the muscle
cells, phosphagen system can only sustain the energy production for a few seconds. After that
anaerobic system will take over to further generate energy since the oxygen, anaerobic glycolysis
or the lactic energy system will begin to produce 2 ATP and produce lactate as by-product. \

By the first minute of the round, the energy system will favor more on aerobic system.
Aerobic glycolysis converts glucose into 2 pyruvates that generates 2 ATP. Pyruvate will then
enter Krebs cycle to produce NADH and FADH that will enter electron transport chain for more
energy production, total of 38 ATP is generated throughout the whole process from glycolysis to
electron transport chain. Kılıc et al, 2019, stated that activity with high intensity like boxing,
increase of blood glucose level is shown to sustain the energetic demand for muscular activity.

As the round continues, beta oxidation will also provide energy by utilizing the fats from
intramuscular triglycerides, adipose triglycerides, and plasma free fatty acids. Beta oxidation
occurs to produce more energy than glycolysis, where the triglycerides are broken down into fatty
acids and then cleave into acetyl groups that enters Krebs cycle. Krebs cycle produce NADH and
FADH that enter electron transport chain to produce total of 129 ATP.

After 3 minutes, the round ends and boxers will return to their neutral corner and have a 1-
minute rest. During the resting period, repayment of PC will occur together with replenishment of
oxygen and fluid replenishment by sipping some fluids. Based on the study of Davis et al, 2014,
the substantial contribution of PC up to 19% of the metabolic cost is highly supplemented by the
PC repayment during the breaks.
 In 2014, Davis et al concluded that the metabolic profile of amateur boxer is predominantly
aerobic. To utilize aerobic metabolism, cardiovascular fitness is one of the most essential aspects
in amateur boxing. A well-developed cardiovascular fitness aids the aerobic metabolism to help
the boxers to sustain high intensity actions such as hooks, jabs, and uppercuts. Moreover, aerobic
fitness also aids in accelerating the recovery process during the round breaks, replenish the energy
for upcoming rounds until the end. Davis et al also stated that highly developed aerobic capacity
is important for the recovery of high energy phosphate system during the 1-minute round break to
be successful until the final round.

The energy system uses blood glucose and muscle glycogen as main fuel for energy
production during the high intensity period of boxing rounds, then fats particularly intramuscular
triglycerides, adipose triglycerides, and plasma free fatty acids as secondary fuel selection during
low and moderate intensity period of the boxing rounds such as interruption of referee and
clinching with opponent, Davis et al, 2014, stated that the plasma lactate concentration increased
at each rounds resulting decreased of anaerobic energy system, which makes boxing
predominantly in aerobic energy system.

Fast glycolytic system happens usually during the event of jabbing and dodging where the
movement requires instant energy production for a relatively high-speed reflex. Slow glycolytic
system usually dominated during the foot working throughout the rounds. Despite its nature to
knock out the opponents or scoring point through landing blows of punches that required instant
energy production from anaerobic system, aerobic system is still predominated throughout the
rounds, due to unsustainability of anaerobic system from not being recovered to further generate
energy for the round, it takes between 30 seconds to 60 seconds to recover. Unlike sprinting events
that last for seconds, that usually predominantly in anaerobic system, boxing round is a 3 minute
long event.
 Conclusion

Boxing is an intermittent high intensity and short duration activity that mainly uses
phosphocreatine and carbohydrates particularly blood glucose and muscle glycogen as primary
fuel, it also uses fats particularly plasma free fatty acids, intramuscular triglycerides, and adipose
triglycerides as secondary fuel. Anaerobic energy system initiated the energy production such as
the phosphagen system and anaerobic glycolysis, but due to its limited storage of PC in muscle
cells, phosphagen system can only last for few seconds and low energy production from anaerobic
glycolysis. The energy system continues with aerobic system consists of aerobic glycolysis, beta
oxidation, and electron transport chain where much more energy can be produced. Boxing’s
intermittent nature provides time for PC regeneration during the breaks which can be the successful
probability if the boxers have highly developed aerobic capacity.
 Reference

Chaabène, H., Tabben, M., Mkaouer, B., Franchini, E., Negra, Y., Hammami, M., . . . Hachana,
Y. (2015). Amateur boxing: physical and physiological attributes. Sports Medicine, 45(3),
337-352.

Davis, P., Leithäuser, R. M., & Beneke, R. (2014). The energetics of semicontact 3 x 2-min
amateur boxing. International journal of sports physiology and performance, 9(2), 233-
239. doi:10.1123/IJSPP.2013-0006

Delvecchio, L. (2011). Profiling the physiology of an amateur boxer. J Aust Strength Cond, 19(3),
37-47.

Hauser, T. , Sammons, . Jeffrey Thomas , Collins, . Nigel , Krystal, . Arthur , Olver, . Ron ,
Poliakoff, . Michael and Wallenfeldt, . E.C. (2021, December 16). boxing. Encyclopedia
Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/sports/boxing

Kılıc, Y., Cetin, H. N., Sumlu, E., Pektas, M. B., Koca, H. B., & Akar, F. (2019). Effects of boxing
matches on metabolic, hormonal, and inflammatory parameters in male elite boxers.
Medicina, 55(6), 288.

Slimani, M., Chaabène, H., Davis, P., Franchini, E., Cheour, F., & Chamari, K. (2017).
Performance aspects and physiological responses in male amateur boxing competitions: A
brief review. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 31(4), 1132-1141.