🏋️♀️🥊 Is there any transfer from CrossFit® to performance improvements in other sports?
🤔 Interesting question that this study wanted to tackle. 60 well-trained kickboxers were divided into two groups. One control group that did their normal kickboxing training and an experimental group that included 3 CrossFit® style workouts into their normal weekly routine. The authors measured indices of general -and kickbox - specific fitness before and after the 8-week training protocol.
📈 As expected, parameters of general fitness (abdominal strength, explosivity and flexibility) improved in the CrossFit® group. What was more interesting is that also specific kickboxing performance got better. The athletes were able to increase their number of punches in a special test that was designed to assess kickbox performance.
💡 Cool study, but it is a pity that the authors did not use a ‘typical’ CrossFit® session as is usually prescribed and done by CrossFit®; a general strength part (compound exercises), followed by a short metcon. As the athletes in this study did body weight exercises (burpees, box jumps…), combined with punching, kicking etc… at high-intensity (AMRAP style), it is hard to say whether it was CrossFit® that did improve kickboxing or that it rather was the high-intensity from the AMRAPs.
Nearly all Crossfit® movements are done in the sagittal plane, there is hardly any twisting or turning. So I doubt (my opinion) that typical CrossFit® would have much transfer to sports that use a lot of body turning.
📖 Read the full text here: PMID: 35457394
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