Effects of a Muay Thai Championship on Neuromuscular Parameters and Their Relationship with Competitive Outcome: A Pilot Study

Background: This study aimed to analyze the acute effects of an official Muay Thai championship on neuromuscular performance, assessing changes in upper- and lower-limb power before and after competition, as well as differences according to competitive outcome (winners vs. losers). Methods: Thirty-three amateur Muay Thai athletes (17 men and 16 women) performed a countermovement jump (CMJ) and a reactive push-up test (RPU) immediately before and after their bouts. Neuromuscular performance changes were analyzed using mixed-design ANOVA, and a binary logistic regression was conducted to examine the association between post-competition performance and match outcome. Results: Significant post-competition declines were observed in both CMJ and RPU performance (p < 0.001), indicating acute neuromuscular fatigue. Men exhibited higher performance values than women in both tests, with sex-specific differences in CMJ fatigue magnitude. When analyzed by competitive outcome, losers showed substantially greater performance decrements than winners, particularly in CMJ. Logistic regression revealed that post-competition CMJ performance was a significant predictor of winning, with higher CMJ values associated with greater odds of competitive success. Conclusions: An official Muay Thai bout induces marked acute neuromuscular fatigue affecting both upper and lower limbs, with greater impairments observed in non-winning athletes. The ability to maintain lower-limb explosive power under fatigue appears to be associated with competitive success. Simple neuromuscular assessments such as CMJ and RPU may be useful tools for monitoring fatigue, guiding tactical decisions, and informing post-competition recovery strategies in Muay Thai athletes.