The effects of stroboscopic vision training on sports vision ability performance and punching performance in female boxers.

Background: Stroboscopic training uses intermittent visual occlusion to disrupt continuous visual information flow, inducing adaptive improvements in visuomotor processing. Although its efficacy has been demonstrated across several fast-response sports, its application in boxing - particularly among female athletes - remains largely unexplored. This study investigated the effects of a six-week stroboscopic training program on visual performance skills and punching accuracy in female amateur (Olympic-style) boxers, and examined the durability of training effects at a four-week follow-up. Methods: Twenty-six female amateur boxers (mean age 24.69 ± 5.48 years; mean boxing experience 7.19 ± 2.51 years) were randomly assigned to a stroboscopic training group (n = 13) or a non-stroboscopic control group (n = 13). Visual performance was assessed across 10 metrics using the Senaptec Sensory Station at pre-test, post-test, and retention. Punching accuracy (%Hit) was assessed from video recordings of official bouts and formal intra-team sparring sessions. The six-week intervention consisted of three 35-minute sessions per week combining general visual reaction drills and boxing-specific reactive tasks, performed under stroboscopic or normal visual conditions. Results: Significant group × assessment phase interactions were observed for five visual performance metrics: Eye-Hand Coordination (EHC; F(2,48) = 6.105, p = 0.004, ηp² = 0.203), Reaction Time (RT; F(2,48) = 3.230, p = 0.048, ηp² = 0.119), Go/No-Go (GNG; F(2,48) = 4.807, p = 0.013, ηp² = 0.167), Perception Span (PS; F(2,48) = 6.005, p = 0.005, ηp² = 0.200), and Multiple Object Tracking (MOT; F(2,48) = 6.039, p = 0.005, ηp² = 0.201). Punching accuracy also improved significantly (F(2,48) = 4.626, p = 0.015, ηp² = 0.162), with post-test %Hit (35.02 ± 7.27%) significantly higher than pre-test (28.85 ± 7.45%). Training effects on EHC, GNG, PS, and MOT were partially retained at the four-week follow-up; RT and %Hit improvements were not retained. No significant changes were observed for basic visual functions (VC, CS, DP, TC, NFQ) in either group. Conclusions: Six weeks of stroboscopic training significantly improved key visuomotor skills and punching accuracy in female amateur boxers, with partial retention of effects four weeks post-intervention. These findings support the integration of stroboscopic training into evidence-based boxing preparation programs and highlight the need for periodic booster sessions to sustain long-term gains.