The Effects Of Thai Boxing Training On The Body

Regular training will quicken the reflexes and improve the circulatory system by enlarging and strengthening the heart. It will also increase the volume of blood taken in by and pumped out by the heart at each beat (200-400ccs), more than in persons who are not in training.

Regular training will also slow down the heartbeat. For people who are not in training, the average rate is 70-80 beats per minute. For Thai boxers in training it can drop to as low as 30-60 beats per minute, and after strenuous exercise, it will return to its original rate faster than in individuals who are not in training.

Regular exercise of the type experienced during training also has the following effects on the muscular system and body frame:

- It causes a thickening of the muscles in all parts of the body. Muscles will be larger and harder after such training. If training is not overdone, but in accordance with the readiness of the body, the individual muscle fibres will become bigger and stronger and certain enzymes in the muscles will be produced in greater quantities. Thus, permitting the muscles to perform more work.

- Training will cause enlargement of the bones. Thus, increasing their resistance to damage from weapons and training equipments. The hard outer parts of the bones and the inner tissues will both increase in size while the joints all over the body will be more flexible.

The respiratory system also benefits in the following ways:

- It is generally found that boxers in training experience an enlargement of the chest, showing signs that the muscles used in breathing have become stronger.

- The breathing rate slows down. This occurs because the parts of the body used in taking in air attain a better than average condition, and the boxer's body develops itself with the aid of deep strong breathing.

- Given this type of development, the lungs also enlarge and increase in capacity. This means that the lung tissue increases in area, giving the blood more space to absorb oxygen. When the respiration of Thai boxers is compared with that of other persons, it is seen that boxers are more economical and put the air they breathe in to better use. Although the amount of air taken in is less, it is used more efficiently, with the blood taking in oxygen more effectively than in ordinary persons.

Finally, regular training improves the nervous system. Regular training allows the nervous system to adapt to stressed situations more quickly and will return to normalcy after training. Coordination between muscles and nerves become better. It reduces the tendency toward nervous exhaustion and helps the body to adjust more rapidly to changes in the environment as well as enhancing decisiveness and self confidence.