Visio-spatial intelligence skills in non-athletes versus amateur boxers

Abstract Background: Visio-spatial intelligence (VSI) skills, including abilities such as spatial awareness, visual processing, and motor coordination, are crucial for athletic performance, particularly in combat sports such as boxing. Amateur boxers require efficient visio-spatial skills (VSS) to quickly process visual information, track opponents’ movements, and execute precise techniques. However, the extent to which amateur boxing experience enhances VSS remains unclear. This study compared the VSI skills of amateur boxers to those of non-athletes. Methods: This cross-sectional, observational study recruited amateur boxers and non-athletes in the King Cetshwayo District, KwaZulu-Natal, Republic of South Africa. Participants, aged ۱۸ to ۲۷ years, underwent a detailed optometric screening and VSS tests, including accommodation facility, saccadic eye movements, speed of recognition, hand-eye coordination, peripheral awareness, and visual memory. Results: The study included ۹۰ participants, consisting of ۴۵ amateur boxers (۲۸ [۶۲%] men aged ۱۸ to ۲۵ years and ۱۷ [۳۸%] women aged ۱۸ to ۲۷ years) and ۴۵ non-athletes (۲۹ [۶۴%] men aged ۱۸ to ۲۶ years and ۱۶ [۳۶%] women aged ۱۸ to ۲۷ years). The mean (standard deviation) age of the boxers was ۲۰.۷ (۲.۲) years, whereas the mean age of the non-athletes was ۲۱.۹ (۲.۴) years (P < ۰.۰۵). Amateur boxers were superior in VSS, with marked advantages in accommodation facility, saccadic eye movement, speed of recognition, peripheral awareness, and hand-eye coordination (all P < ۰.۰۰۱). However, no significant difference was found in visual memory (P > ۰.۰۵). The greatest difference was observed in speed of recognition (۸۸% higher in boxers), and the least difference was observed in visual memory (۴% higher in boxers). Conclusions: VSS differ between amateur boxers and non-athletes, indicating the importance of these skills for athletic performance. These findings emphasize the potential advantages of boxing training in enhancing VSS, which could impact athletic training and performance-enhancement strategies. This underscores the value of integrating visio-spatial training into athletic programs. The observed superiority of boxers in specific VSS areas has broad implications for theories of sports vision, the selection of appropriate tests, and the development of sport-specific VSS testing protocols. Further longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes are required to verify these findings and assess changes in these skills over time.