Abstract

Purpose: This study investigated the biomechanical effects of boxing glove padding on impact force characteristics during straight punching using an integrated experimental-simulation approach. Methods: Nine amateur male boxers (age: 22.4 ± 3.1 years; body mass: 72.8 ± 8.6 kg; height: 1.75 ± 0.06 m; experience: 4.2 ± 1.8 years) performed straight punches under padded and unpadded glove conditions. Three-dimensional impact forces were measured using an AMTI force plate (1000 Hz), while upper extremity kinematics were captured via a Vicon motion analysis system (200 Hz). A Monte Carlo simulation (n = 10,000 iterations) was employed to estimate statistical power, effect size distributions, and biomechanical model parameters. Results: Peak anterior–posterior forces were significantly higher for padded gloves (565.07 ± 112.53 N) than for unpadded gloves (371.06 ± 48.19 N; t(8) = −5.185, p = 0.0008, Cohen’s d = −1.728, η² = 0.771). Monte Carlo simulation confirmed 96.6 % power and mean simulated d of −1.607. The mean difference was 125.64–263.37 N (bootstrap 95% CI). Impulse rose from 9.72 to 14.80 N.s and effective striking mass from 1.91 to 2.91 kg with padding. Conclusion: Padded boxing gloves substantially altered impact force biomechanics, with paradoxically higher peak forces likely attributable to increased effective striking mass and altered punching mechanics. Monte Carlo simulation provided robust statistical validation and power estimation beyond conventional inferential methods. These findings have implications for boxing glove design, competition safety regulations, and training practices.