Integrative Approach to High- Performance Evaluation and Training: Illustrative Data of a Professional Boxer

Abstract

This article describes a specific and unique performance enhancement training paradigm for an elite heavyweight boxer currently competitive and successful in his sport. The athlete was a 27-year-old male professional boxer. He participated in our multifaceted training program
beginning in 2009, though he still actively participates to date. Extensive nutritional, sport psychology, and cortical functioning assessments were conducted at baseline. The results from the training program, as judged by objective data and self-report at posttraining evaluations, are discussed here. Among the many nutritional advantages he gained, the athlete was able to decrease his risk for coronary artery disease, increase lean mass, decrease unnecessary immune system strains, and decrease body fat percentage by 6%. With regard to his mental skills, the athlete offered self-report that he is able to narrow his focus to the objective at hand and stay in a calm frame of mind both before and during his competitive rounds. His brain physiology also showed gains in focus, reaction speed variability, and improved impulse control  demonstrated by fewer errors in the posttraining evaluation. The current case study supports previous findings with our multimodal  high-performance training approach (Sherlin, Gervais, Talley, & Walshe, 2011) and further evidences the need to incorporate more core
training areas concurrently in order to achieve high performance in elite athletes.